In These Hills
by forensicator8
Summary: A story based on a recut trailer I created for Pete's Dragon. This time, our cute dragon isn't so warm and friendly...
1. Chapter 1

A/N: The ususal: Pete's Dragon doesn't belong to me obviously. Special thanks: A big thank you to Dramamaster829 for suggesting to me an idea to turn my recut Pete's Dragon trailer into a story. Rock on. So here's the first chapter so far. Enjoy!

(Oh, and to shamelessly plug my trailer: /watch?vgR1Yypm9GiM)

In These Hills

"Oh Petey! Petey, Petey, Petey!" A woman's harsh voice cut through the silence of the forest.

Pete, a young orphan, crawled through the mud and brush with the ease of a small animal eluding a predator. His bare feet were raw and bleeding. It didn't matter though. He needed to hide, and fast. A rotting hollow log caught his eye.

"Pete!" A man's gruff voice called. They were quickly approaching. Pete scurried to the log with time enough to conceal himself. He peered through a crack in the bark and glimpsed Willie Gogan staggering through the trees. He brandished a crowbar, which Pete was all too familiar with. On numerous occasions, he'd feel the lash of cold metal sear his back—usually for the most trivial reasons. The dishes didn't look clean enough, or they complained about the food he cooked.

"What is _this?_" Mama would say. "Why can't we get _real_ food 'round here?"

"Then cook it yourself," Pete always felt like saying. One day the Gogan's incessant nagging finally got to him.

He was serving a fine looking meal of chicken and mashed potatoes, which Pete himself would've devoured if only he was allowed to. He scooped the food onto Grover Gogan's plate. With an upturned nose, he sniffed the contents and pushed the plate away.

"I ain't eating this," he said, crossing his arms.

Pete stopped. "Why not?"

"Because," Grover said with a piercing stare, "it looks like something that came out of a horse's ass."

His brother erupted with laughter. Grover grinned, flashing his rotten teeth. The words lit an internal flame within Pete. He reached for a bowl of hot gravy, and with one swift motion, poured it over Grover's head.

Needless to say, Grover did not take this lightly. He flew out of his chair, cursing and rubbing his eyes. Pete smiled in satisfaction. He hadn't experienced this much joy in years.

Merle Gogan, the father, rose and began to unfasten his belt, which Pete knew he'd be feeling on his backside if he didn't act fast. He bolted to the door and ran out of the house.

"BOY!!" Merle shouted, but Pete kept running.

"You two go after him," Merle snarled at his sons.

"But Pa!" Grover protested, wiping gravy off his face.

"Don't you 'but Pa' me! That orphan's worth more than this whole farm, and I can't afford to lose him. Now go!"

The two Gogans slowly ambled to the door.

"Now hold up a minute, Merle," Mama said. "I dunno what yer thinkin' just sendin' those two numbskulls after Pete, but it ain't gonna work." She walked over to a closet, produced a narrow iron club and tapped it in the palm of her hand. "We need as much help as we can get." She grinned and led Merle out of the house.

Having never been outside the Gogan farm, Pete hadn't the slightest idea where he was headed. He didn't care. Just as long as he was far enough away from the Gogans. For his safety, he decided not to take any roads.

It was nearly dusk when he was crossed a field and came to the edge of a forest. Even on a clear day it appeared foreboding. A faint cry in the distance caused him to listen. It was the Gogans. Despite the darkness, he decided to go through the woods.

Pete's bare feet hit the mud on the forest floor. Rain water has collected in various puddles, and Pete tried to land in them so he wouldn't leave his own footprints.

However, one particular puddle caught his eye. It was a footprint, but a rather large and unusual one. It had three toes and appeared about as long as Pete's arm. The surrounding area was littered with piles of what appeared to be animal bones. Perhaps it was from a large bear. Pete shook his head. He wasn't sure whether or not bears inhabited the region, but he decided not to stick around to find out.

The sun began to disappear behind the trees. Pete leaned against a moss ridden tree to catch his breath. It wasn't long before the Gogan's voices rose in the distance. How did they catch up so fast? Pete decided to hide.

From the inside of log, Pete held his breath and did not stir. Grover jumped on top of the log. Pete felt the weak wood begin to sink on top of him.

"Aw, c'mon Petey! You know I was only jokin' 'bout the food! Why don't you come out for your old pal Grover?"

Mama appeared from behind a tree, short of breath. "You boys," she yelled. "Spread out!"

Willie kicked a pile of brush. "Aw, Ma! Can't we just go back? It's getting' dark out here!"

"I'll tell ya why we ain't goin' back," she started. "Because I done paid fifty dollars for that orphan, plus legal. _And_ he does all of your work. So if you don't wanna work the farm by yerself, then I suggest you find that little brat!"

Willie grumbled to himself and joined Grover, who was sitting on the rotten log Pete was concealed in. Grover spat into the brush.

"You know, Willie," he said. "Life was better before Ma brought that damn orphan."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah! Our food tasted better, work got done faster, and it was just me, you, Ma and Pa. I dunno why she bought the kid in the first place."

Willie turned to him; a devilish smile crossed his face. "Ya know, if we catch that kid now, think of what we could do to punish him." He picked up his crowbar. "Beat 'im like a cow!"

Grover jumped up. "Yeah! And when he cries out for mercy, we'll just laugh!" By now the two Gogans were standing on top of the log. Of course, the rotting wood couldn't hold both of them. The frightened Pete suddenly felt the log collapse on him. Grover toppled backwards and Willie landed face to face with Pete.

"OH! Oh, ho, ho! Lookey what I caught!" He hollered, pinning Pete to the ground and pressing his face into the mud. "Grover! Go tell Ma I got 'im!"

"Lift his head up!" Merle shouted. The Gogans crowded around Pete. Willie snatched him by the hair and spun him around to face Merle. "Well, well, well," he said through clenched teeth. "Did you think you'd be smart enough to outrun us?"

Pete said nothing.

"Well, boy?!"

"No," he replied.

"No, _what?_" Merle said, sending a slap across Pete's face.

"No, _Sir,_" he managed to choke out.

"Now that's more like it."

Mama pulled a long rope from around her shoulders and tossed it to her sons. "Boys, tie him up and carry him back. We're losin' daylight."

Willie and Grover held Pete's hands behind his back and positioned the rope in place. A rustling from some nearby trees caught their attention.

"Did you hear somethin'?" Grover said in a low voice.

"Yeah," Willie said, picking up his crowbar. "I think someone's there." He walked slowly toward the noise. "Hey! Show yerself!" But nothing stirred. He spat towards the noise and turned back. "Rotten coward."

Suddenly, Willie screamed. The others turned to see him lifted off the ground, his arms flailing about.

"Help! Hellllp!" He shouted. It appeared as though he was being held up by an invisible rope.

The other Gogans didn't know what to make of the situation, let alone know what to do. He was too high up and out of their reach.

"Get me down!" He screamed in terror. "Something's crushing me!"

Grover, rope in hand, frantically raced over to Willie, but ran smack into what felt like a wall—except there was nothing there. A horrible cracking sounded from above. From the ground, Grover looked up in shock to see Willie's head twist all the way around.

"Willie!" He called. But his body was limp. It began to rise slowly and a deafening crunch filled the air. The others looked up to see blood pouring down from Willie's neck. Whatever was holding him, it had taken off his head. Willie's body dropped to the ground, landing in a pool of blood.

Mama cried out and ran to her son. "Willie! Willie! No!" As she clutched him, a stream of fire erupted from above, dousing her in flames.

Pete stared in disbelief at the horrific scene unfolding before his eyes. He saw Merle slowly backing away, as though trying not to be seen by this invisible force. Pete took a chance and ran. Two horrible screams caused him to look back. He saw Grover's lifeless body thrown against a tree, and Merle pinned to the ground. Pete's eyes widened. This strange invisible thing was no longer invisible. From its green skin, to the wings on its back, to the long snout and burning red eyes, Pete now saw the creature for what it really was: a fire-breathing dragon.


	2. Chapter 2

From the lighthouse, a beam of light cut though the approaching fog. Nora, the lighthouse keeper's daughter, stood at the rail of the balcony, looking out to the ocean. It had been almost two years since Paul went to sea. Her mind wandered to the times when it was just she and him—enjoying the sunsets and listening to the ebb and flow of waves on the beach. She tried to convince herself that her beacon of light would guide him home, but she knew in the back of her mind that he was lost forever.

It was almost midnight. She decided to go in, but took one last look toward the horizon, hoping to see his ship. The light passed over the shore and illuminated the beach, just enough for Nora to see something moving below. She squinted through the darkness at what appeared to be a person. She was puzzled. None of the Passamaquoddy residents walked the beaches after dark, simply due to the erratic tides.

She decided not to worry about it and descended the stairs of the lighthouse. The rest of the house was quiet. She peered into her father's room. He was sprawled on his bed, sound asleep and still dressed in his civilian's clothes. Nora smiled. No doubt he had a rough day at his favorite tavern.

"'Welcome to Pass-a-ma-quoddy,'" Pete read a weather-beaten sign along the road. A torrential rain had swamped the small coastal town two days earlier. Branches were scattered along sidewalks and the dirt road leading into town still retained pools of rain water. Pete noticed the houses of Passamaquoddy were large, gorgeous and pristine—the complete opposite of the Gogans' dilapidated bungalow. He glanced down at his shabby overalls. His feet were caked with dirt and blood. Luckily for Pete it was almost dark out. No one would be able to see how awful he looked.

The town was quiet and still. A few lamps illuminated the streets. Pete walked along a nearby wharf and sat down on an empty lobster crate. He rubbed the bottoms of his feet and winced in pain.

Noise from a nearby tavern drifted through the air. Pete shifted on the lobster crate and noticed a small trash can outside of the tavern. His stomach rumbled and he decided to dig up some discarded food.

A few scraps of bread and broken bottles were all he could find. He cupped the bread in his hands and walked past the front door of the tavern, but it swung into his face, knocking him to the ground.

"OW!"

A surly old man stumbled toward him.

"Hey…hey, watch where yer going, little fella." The man slammed the door shut and left Pete on the ground. He held a cap in his hand and tried to place it on his head, but missed each time. Pete rubbed his nose and watched intently as the man mounted his bicycle. He shakily steered it down the street, only to veer off into the wall of the tavern each time.

"There's…the light," the man said in a gravely tone of relief.

Pete looked in the man's direction and noticed a soft beam of light circling through the darkness—sure enough it was a lighthouse.

A noisy crash startled Pete. The man had collided with a stack of lobster crates and groaned as he tried to pick himself up. Pete ran over to help him. He pulled him up by the arm and tried to balance him.

"I'm fine…I'm fine," the man said pushing Pete away. He tried once again to peddle his bike down the road, but to no avail. Pete stepped toward the inebriate and tugged the man up and placed an arm around his shoulder.

"Sir, let me help you home," Pete said. Although he had the choice not to assist him, Pete felt obligated to help this man. The Gogans had never been even remotely compassionate to him, but to be the one extending help to another made Pete feel stronger.

"Alright," the man growled. "Follow the light."

"You live in the lighthouse?" Pete asked.

"YES!" the man said proudly. "I _am_ the lighthouse!"

Pete simply marched on with the man stumbling by his side. He was beginning to grow nauseous as the stench of alcohol emanated from the man's mouth each time he spoke.

When they approached the door to the house, the man fished in his pocket for his key.

"Sir, do you--"

"I got it, I got it," the man grumbled as he pulled out a key and placed it in the lock. "You—you have a good night little fella. Go home and get some sleep."

And with that, the man staggered over the threshold and pushed the door shut, leaving Pete on the stoop. He sighed and wandered around the grounds of the lighthouse. There was a foghorn on the embankment that was taller than Pete. He peered over the edge. The rough crash of the tide sounded below. It was difficult to see though the blackness, but Pete decided to climb down the rocky overhang and cool his feet in the ocean.

The sand of the beach was damp, and Pete smiled as the tide swallowed his feet all the way to his ankles. He breathed a sigh of relief. No longer were the Gogans casting a terrifying shadow over him. He was free. Never before had this sense of liberation ever crossed his mind.

His eyes began to feel heavy. He would have to find a place to sleep for the night before deciding where to go. He walked the length of the beach and came to what appeared to be a cave. The unpleasant smell of dead fish and other tide wash-up filled Pete's nose. It would have to do.

Nora woke early. She was restless. The sun was almost up, but she decided to not to prepare her usual morning tea or breakfast. There were other things on her mind. She pulled on her long overcoat, headscarf and rubber boots, and headed down to the beach.

A trail of footprints was still visible in the sand. They seemed to lead all the way to where the cave was situated. Apprehension filled her. If someone _was_ in cave, what if he or she wanted to be left alone? She noticed that the tide was already starting to come in. If high waters reached the caves, what would become of its inhabitant? She continued to follow the footprints.

She didn't see anything in the cave at first. Water was already starting to creep in. A few hours and the entire place would be filled.

"Hello?" she called.

No answer. She peered in further.

"Anyone in here?"

Nothing.

"Hello? I won't hurt you. Please come out."

She stood staring into the blackness when she heard something stir from behind a large rock. A young boy rose to full height and fixed his two hollow eyes to Nora's.

"Hi," she said. The boy didn't respond. "What are you doing down here?"

He shrugged; a sullen look crossed his face.

"You know, it's not a good idea to stay in here—unless you want the tide to sweep you away. You'd better head for home."

The boy seemed perpetually silent. He was dressed in the most threadbare garments Nora had ever seen.

"You're not from Passamaquoddy, are you?"

The boy shook his head. "Just sort of…traveling."

"Do your parents know you're here?"

He averted his eyes at this remark and shook his head again.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Pete."

"Well Pete, I'm Nora. I have to get back up to the lighthouse. I was going to put a fresh pot of chowder on. You're welcome to join me. If you like," she added. Pete looked terribly malnourished and could have used some extra care. She held out her hand to him. He slowly reached for it, but quickly pulled away as if a dog had bitten him.

"What's the matter?" Nora asked. "It's a hand, not a shark."

Pete looked up at her, his sunken eyes not knowing if he would receive the kindness he always dreamed of, or another thoughtless bout of cruelty like the Gogans.

"You can finish that chowder," she said in the softest of voice.

This time, without hesitation, Pete reached for her hand. The two walked out of the cave and into the brightness of the morning sun.


	3. Chapter 3

The coffee was strangely bitter, but Pete regarded it as a luxury he didn't want to take for granted. He devoured another spoonful of Nora's clam chowder and remained relatively quiet throughout the meal.

Nora studied him while he ate.

"Where did you get that bruise?" she inquired.

"Mr.Gogan," he replied as if it were nothing. "I was milking the cow and I missed the bucket."

Nora stared at him with growing concern. "Is this Mr. Gogan a relative?"

Pete looked up at her. "No he's...well…I…I'm an orphan."

Nora nodded thoughtfully. She poured herself a cup of coffee, but was still curious about Pete's dilemma. "Had he done that to you before?" she asked.

"All the time," Pete said. "Sometimes he'd use a belt, other times a club. There were so many times I thought about running, and when I finally did, the Orphan Home found me and sent me back to them. The Gogans sure had it in for me then. I guess I've just had bad luck most of my life."

"What about now?" Nora asked.

Pete looked away and thought of the horrible incident in the woods. He was sure he'd never hear of the Gogans ever again, but decided not to tell Nora about it. He shrugged. "Well, I left them. Right now I'm on my own."

Nora was contemplating Pete's fate. What if he were to fall back into these cruel Gogans' hands? She didn't want to risk it.

"Listen, Pete…why don't you sleep here tonight? You're more than welcome to. There's another bed next to the stairs and I'm sure my dad has a few extra clothes you can borrow for now. What do you say?"

Naturally, Pete was hesitant and he thought for a moment. He _did _feelsafe here, and Nora showed him kindness that he never thought possible. Maybe luck was on his side after all.

"Okay," he said with a small smile.

"Great!" Nora said. "If you're up to it, we can go into town later. Pick you up some things."

Pete nodded and finished the rest of his chowder. As Nora cleared off the table, the sound of footsteps descending the stair caught Pete's ear. He saw the surly old man trying to balance himself on the railing.

"Morning, Sir," Pete said.

"Ugghhh..." the old man replied groggily. "Morning."

Suddenly he stopped in his tracks and did a double take.

"Who…who on earth are you?" he asked.

"I'm Pete. I walked you home last night."

"Huh? What are you talking about? I've never seen you before in my life. What are you doing here?"

"I—I--"

"Dad, can I talk to you for a minute?" Nora said, coming to Pete's aid. She pulled the bleary-eyed man into the kitchen and spoke to him in a low voice. This made Pete apprehensive. What if this old man did agree with Nora taking him in? He could see himself now—wandering back roads, digging for food in trashcans. After a brief moment, Nora and her father reappeared. Pete prepared for the worst.

"So," the man began. "My daughter has informed me that you are an orphan with no place to live—said you were sleeping in the cave down by the beach. Well, it appears that you've stumbled upon the right place. You're most welcome to stay here for as long as you'd like."

The man didn't seem entirely thrilled about the aspect of Pete's company, but his approval was music to his ears.

"Thank you, Sir," he said.

"Enough with the formalities—just call me Lampie," he said and poured himself some coffee.

"Dad," Nora began, "the lamp needs to be polished and the lens cleaned. Maybe you can take Pete with you and show him how it's done before we go into town."

Lampie rolled his eyes as though he didn't have time for entertaining children. "Fine, fine," he said.

"I'm going to the tavern," Lampie said, descending the stairs and throwing a dirty rag on the table. Pete followed. It had taken them much of the morning to tend to the lighthouse lamp.

Nora frowned. "Dad, it's twelve o'clock. How can you possibly think of drinking right now?"

"Trust me…I can."

He shoved on his hat and quickly left.

"I don't think he likes me," Pete said.

"Oh, it's not you. And you shouldn't worry about him," Nora said. "It just takes him a while to warm up to people."

Nora presented Pete with a set of clothes that must've belonged to Lampie.

"Now, I know these might be a little big, but it's just for a short while. You can put these on and I'll fix us up some lunch. Then we'll head into town."

Pete went to the washroom and held up the shirt in front of him. It was like a tent, but he didn't mind. It was fancy compared to his shabby overalls.

Nora set a plate of bread on the table as Pete walked around the small living area, taking in the surroundings. A photograph of a man in a sailor's hat and mustache caught his eye. It must've been Lampie in his younger days.

"Nora? Who is this?" Pete asked.

She looked up at the photo rather but didn't respond at first. "That's Paul," she said rather distantly. "We were…engaged."

"What happened?"

"The sea did. He set sail two years ago and I haven't heard from since. No letters, no wires—nothing. All I have to remind me of him is that picture," she said. "But enough talk. Let's eat."

"And there's the school," Nora said, pointing to a small and perfect whitewashed building in the square. Pete could sense Nora was hinting for him to show some interest in possibly attending. He told himself he'd think about it.

Pete noticed some of the townspeople were casting momentary looks toward them. He ignored it.

"Morning, Nora," said a tight-faced woman who was the Passamaquoddy schoolteacher.

"Hello, Miss Taylor. How are you?"

"Oh, just peachy my dear. Nora, you know, I just ran into your father."

"Really?" Nora said looking around making sure Lampie wasn't causing trouble.

"Yes, he had the most interesting news. Tells me you've taken in a vagrant of some kind. Oh," she said looking down at Pete, "is this him?"

Nora raised her eyebrows as though she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Good news sure traveled fast in Passamaquoddy. "Look, Miss Taylor, whatever gossip you've heard I can assure you is false. My father can say awful things when he's drunk."

"Well, as young as he may be, he's still a vagrant. You can't turn a sow's ear into a silk purse, you know."

Nora smiled, masking her contempt for the schoolteacher.

"Good day, Miss Taylor," she said taking Pete's hand.

They said nothing as they walked up the dirt road to a store whose sign read "Williams' Mercantile."

"Now they might have a few suits in stock. Otherwise, we can always order you something," Nora said.

Pete's eyes widened as he entered the store. He had never seen so many things--fabrics, toys, musical instruments, sweets. It was almost overwhelming, but he knew he was there for one thing only—clothes.

As Pete selected his new attire, Caroline, the shopkeeper, eyed the two closely. She approached Nora, who was looking at candles.

"Well, good morning, Nora. And who is the young gentleman accompanying you? I don't think I've seen him before."

"That's Pete," Nora said. "You might say I've taken him under my wing," Nora said.

Caroline raised her eyebrows and chuckled softly. "Oh, Nora dear, that's not what I heard."

Nora looked a little bewildered. "What are saying?"

"Are you sure he wasn't a—ahem--going away present from Paul?" she asked deviously.

Nora seethed. She could have socked her one right then and there, but she remained composed.

"No, Caroline, he's not. Pete, are you almost done over there?"

He nodded and handed Nora his new outfits.

"Now, Caroline, may I purchase these?" she said, placing Pete's clothes on the counter.

"Certainly."

As Nora paid for Pete's clothes, a loud commotion outside caught their attention. They left the store to find the milkman's horse-drawn cart speeding around the square, with empty bottles falling out and breaking. The milkman was lying face down in the dusty road.

"What on earth?" Nora said staring at the mass confusion.

Suddenly they heard a loud banging coming from a nearby house. They turned to see the fence surrounding a yard being swiftly uprooted with splinters of wood flying in each direction—but there was nothing around that would seem to be the cause of such destruction.

A crowd was also forming around a sidewalk of fresh cement.

"Did you see that?! Did you see that?! Look at those!" the mason said, gesturing towards the cement.

Pete and Nora approached the crowed and tried to get a good look at what the all the fuss was about. They noticed what appeared to be large holes in the cement, but the closer they got they realized they were more than that. They were strange looking footprints. Pete recognized them all too well—they were the footprints of the dragon in the forest.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: A big thanks to dramamaster829 for supplying me with some fantastic ideas for this chapter and the ones to come!_

The crowd that had formed around the milkman began to slowly clear. A few people lifted the dust covered man up to his shaky legs, and their expressions turned to shock.

"Look at his face," someone said quietly.

There appeared to be three large bloody gashes raked across the milkman's dazed face.

"Where did it come from?" he kept saying.

A feeling of anxiety began to well up inside of Pete. The dragon must have followed him to Passamaquoddy. What would the creature have wanted with him? Revenge for trespassing on its territory?

"What on earth is going on here?" a gravelly voice shouted.

Pete turned to see a man dressed in an expensive brown suit and smoking a cigar striding toward the square. The man had a small entourage following him, which made him seem rather important.

"Mr. Mayor," an old woman cried. "Something dreadful just happened!"

A few people led him over to the footprints in the cement. The mayor regarded them skeptically.

"What is this, some kind of joke?" he asked.

The milkman walked up to him. "I highly doubt this is a joke," he said removing a cloth from his bloody face.

The mayor cringed at the sight and continued puffing on his cigar. "Did any of you happen to _see_ what caused all of this?"

The crowd looked at one another, hoping to find an answer, but they shook their heads.

"That's what I can't figure out," the milkman said. "It was as though something invisible came out of nowhere and attacked me."

The mayor raised his eyebrows.

"Well, this sounds like an unexplainable phenomenon…or an unusually elaborate prank," he said, leading the milkman down the road. "I'm sure this unfortunate accident can be fixed. Now, I'll see that you to a doctor quickly. Ladies and gentlemen, I assure you everything is going to be fine. I'll have my men look into this problem so you're not bothered again."

The crowd began to dissipate, and Nora looked at Pete who was still stunned.

"Well, that was…interesting," she said. "C'mon, we'd better get home before anything more peculiar happens."

……

Lampie stumbled out of the Passamaquoddy tavern, his usual inebriated stupor. The late afternoon sun was beginning to set, but it was still light enough for him to see where he was going.

He stumbled around the corner of the tavern and bumped into a few lobster discarded crates, which toppled over in his path.

"Dammit," he mumbled to himself as he kept walking.

A deep growling sound started to emanate from the corner where the crates had fallen. Lampie glanced behind his shoulder.

"Huh?"

Something moved. He squinted, trying to focus on whatever was moving behind the crates. Nothing. He cursed under his breath and continued walking.

After a moment, the sound of splintering wood erupted behind him. He whirled around to see the lobster crates levitating and breaking apart on their own. It was the most bizarre thing Lampie had ever seen—even in his blurred state of mind. He stared in awe and approached it.

"How…?"

He reached out to touch one of the suspended crates, but in one fast motion, it slammed to the ground. Lampie jumped back as a giant green mass suddenly materialized in front of him. He tilted his head up to see what it was. A pair of yellow eyes and sharp teeth greeted him—and sobered him up quickly.

Lampie fell backwards and hit the ground with a hard thud. He tried to scream, but his voice caught in his throat. The green creature began to hiss and growl, black smoke emanating from its mouth. It approached the startled old man as a hungry lion stalks its prey. Without another thought, Lampie scrambled to his feet and bolted to the front door of the tavern.

"Help! Someone! Anyone!" he cried as he slammed the door shut. He grabbed the bartender by the collar of his shirt. "Charlie, it's going to kill me!"

"Whoa, whoa! Lampie, get a hold of yourself," his friend said. "What's the matter?"

"I—I—I saw--" Lampie sputtered. "Its eyes…its horrible teeth…it almost ate me!"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"It was a DRAGON!" he yelled.

By now, everyone in the tavern was staring at him. Charlie's face grew red with embarrassment, and he pulled Lampie aside.

"Listen," he said in a low voice, "I know you've had a lot to drink just now and I--"

"But I'm perfectly fine!" Lampie said. "I know what I saw and it was right in front of me. Well, at first it wasn't, but—but—it just appeared out of thin air! How do you explain that?"

Charlie shrugged and remained baffled by the old man's story.

"But it was monstrous!" Lampie said with a gesture, his voice rising. "It breathed smoke from its mouth and tried to attack me!"

"Lampie, I don't know what's gotten into you, but you're starting to scare the customers."

"Well they should be scared! Maybe…maybe you should go out there and see for yourself!"

Charlie pondered this for a moment. "Alright. Show me," he said.

Lampie shook his head. "You can go out there. I won't."

Charlie decided to humor his friend and went outside. Lampie sat down and waited nervously for Charlie to return.

"I didn't see anything," the bartender said. "Just a bunch of broken crates. Are you sure you didn't knock them over yourself?"

"Of course I'm sure! What more do I have to say to convince you?"

Charlie rolled his eyes. "Lampie, why don't you get yourself home? Sleep all this off."

"Oh no! No, no, no, no, no! I can't go out there—not with that _thing_ running around."

Lampie pulled at his hat and his breath became shallow.

"Do you want me to take you home?" Charlie asked.

Lampie groaned and hid his face.

"Let's go. Come on," Charlie said, taking the old man by the arm.

….

Up at the lighthouse, Pete stared out a small window, his eyes fixed on the crashing ocean waves. He hadn't said a word since the incident in town and was beginning to wonder if he should tell Nora about the dragon. She was sitting at the table, reading a newspaper.

"Nora…" Pete started.

"Yes, Pete?" she said looking up.

Pete hesitated. "You know what happened in town today?" he said. "I know what did it."

"You do?" Nora asked. "Well, why didn't you say anything before?"

As he opened his mouth to speak, there was a knock at the door.

Nora opened it. "What's this?" she asked.

"Nora, my apologies, but I wanted to make sure he got home safe. Didn't want any _dragons_ to get him!"

Pete turned sharply when he mentioned the word "dragon," and Nora only looked puzzled. She smiled. "Thanks Charlie."

Lampie hurried into the house, but Nora stopped him. She stared at him as a mother would to a child in trouble.

"Alright, what's going on now?" she asked. "And what did Charlie mean by 'dragons?"

"Why should I tell you? No one else will believe me anyway," he said.

"Well, go on," Nora said.

Pete, meanwhile, was listening intently to their conversation. Lampie sighed and looked up at Nora.

"There _was_ a dragon. I saw it with my own eyes," he said.

Nora stared at him skeptically.

"See, I knew you wouldn't believe me. Why do I even waste my breath?" he said throwing his hat down.

"Dad, I can't have you coming home like this all the time. Imagining things and spinning these outrageous stories."

"Fine. Whatever you say. But for the time being," Lampie said, "I'm staying right here so that creature won't find me."

He ascended the stairs to his room and shut the door.

Nora glanced at Pete and shook her head hopelessly.

"I'm sorry," she said. "That's just the way he's been ever since my mother died. There isn't much I can do about it."

"It's okay," said Pete.

Nora smiled. "I'll be up top if you need me," she said, heading up to the summit of the lighthouse.

Pete was now alone. Lampie had seen the dragon and he wanted to tell him that he saw it too. All he had to do now was approach the old man without inciting his temper.

He climbed the stairs to Lampie's room and knocked reluctantly.

"What?" Lampie asked brusquely from behind the door.

"It's me, Pete."

Lampie opened the door a crack.

"Well?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Pete asked.

Lampie chuckled. "What on earth could _you_ possibly want to talk about with me?"

"It's about the dragon," Pete said.

"Ah, so you're just going to mock me, too."

"No," Pete said earnestly.

Lampie stared at him and his expression became serious.

"I believe you," Pete said.


	5. Chapter 5

Light from the full moon shined through the stained glass window of the Passamaquoddy church. Although the hour was late, Father Gibbons knelt in prayer before the altar--a brief act of contrition for what had just transpired.

Gibbons always had a penchant for the drink. It was a terrible habit, he knew, but one he never felt compelled to break. For some time, he had been good to restrain himself, but until recently all he could think about was his next drink.

It started with the church's supply of wine. When that supply began to dwindle, he discreetly began to pilfer coins, and if he was bold enough, a few dollars, from the church donation box. Just enough to keep him in a fresh reserve of liquor.

The Passamaquoddy townsfolk had felt the effects of Prohibition, and their seaport became a subversive avenue for illicit alcohol. Everyone seemed to turn a blind eye, and it kept many people content—especially the patrons of the Passamaquoddy Tavern and Father Gibbons himself. See no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil.

Gibbons had a connection to one of the local fishermen who dealt with the incoming liquor shipments. With a good bribe, he was able to get a large bottle of rye that would last a week or two.

Gibbons rose from the altar. Surely God would forgive him of his actions. He'd pay the church back when he could. He reached into his robe pocket, pulled out a small flask, unscrewed the top, and tilted it into his mouth. It was empty.

No matter. Gibbons headed to his cache, which was located just behind the altar. He held a bottle up to the silver moonlight, which was near full. Instead of filling the flask, he decided to drink straight from the bottle.

As he wiped off the remaining liquor that trailed down his lip, a large shadow fell across the church floor and quickly disappeared. With a sudden gust of wind, the front doors of the church burst open. Gibbons jumped and cowered behind a pew, but realized no one was there.

He became startled by the idea that someone may have been spying on him. He quickly stashed the bottle and walked to the front doors of the church. A breeze rustled the leaves of a nearby tree. His nerves were on end. Did someone see him take the money? See him smuggling liquor in the church and wanted him to pay for his actions? Gibbons shut and locked the doors. He decided not to investigate any further.

Just as he turned around, he stood face to face with the most terrible looking creature. Gibbons stood paralyzed with fear. It was the dragon he heard about from some of the townspeople. Its nostrils flared and started to sniff the preacher's face—no doubt smelling the scent of alcohol.

The dragon lunged at him. "Mercy!" Gibbons cried as he reached for a crucifix on the wall. He flashed it in front of the dragon, but the creature was too quick for him. It opened its large jaws and crunched down on the preacher's arm. Blood spilled onto the floor of the church as Gibbons toppled over. The last thing he saw was the dragon's piercing yellow eyes as it spit the crucifix to the ground.

………

"What do you mean you believe me?" Lampie asked, still standing in the doorway of his room.

"I mean I've seen it for myself," Pete said.

Lampie crossed his arms, a skeptical expression on his face as he waited for the boy to continue.

Pete sighed. "It was green. Had a long neck…breathed fire."

Lampie nodded. This explanation seemed to be enough to convince him Pete was telling the truth. He led the boy into the room. "But how did it get here? What does it _want_? It almost killed me."

Pete shrugged. "I'm not sure. I came across its footprints in the woods, and that's when it attacked the Gogans."

"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Lampie said. "Nora mentioned the Gogans to me, but she never said anything about them getting attacked."

Pete felt he may have said too much, but what did it matter now? He continued to tell Lampie about the incident in the woods and that he saw the dragon with his own eyes.

"Well, I do believe you," Lampie said. "I don't know how many others in this town are bound to, so I think we'll just have to keep this between you and me for now."

"Okay," Pete said.

"Now, try to get some sleep," Lampie said, leading the boy out of the room.

Pete climbed into his bed and his thoughts continuously straying to the dragon.

……..…

A cloud of dust billowed up from the outskirts of Passamaquoddy. It was trailing behind an unusual jalopy that had the strange appearance of a sailing ship. There was a man in a top hat and cape attempting to steer the contraption, while another man held onto the mast for dear life. The driver repeatedly honked the horn, nearly missing a few bystanders as they approached the middle of the town.

"Move you fools! I don't have brakes!" the driver shouted. "Hoagy! Throw out the anchor!"

"Aye, aye!" the other man said as he slid down the mast to the back of the car where he struggled to pull out a real ship's anchor. He pushed it off with his feet and it crashed to the road. It dragged across the dirt road until it caught on a post and jerked the car backwards, launching the two men into a pile of fishing nets. A banner automatically unfolded from the side of the car reading: _Doctor Terminus, Tablets and Lotions._

The Doc untangled himself from the nets, and a crowd of townspeople began to form in front of him, their eyes narrowing in silent contempt. "Oh, no, Hoagy. I think they remember me," Terminus said to his assistant. Apparently a beard and a new alias weren't enough to fool the folks of Passamaquoddy.

"I think I remember them," Hoagy said, his eyes scanning the sour faces in the crowd.

"Act normal," Terminus said.

"I am acting normal…I'm ready to run."

"We'll have them lining up with their pocket books open in no time. Just let me do all the talking."

"Is that really a good idea?" Hoagy asked. "Remember what happened in the last town?"

The Doc ignored him as he brushed off his cape and stood to address the crowd. "Citizens! My dear friends!"

"Get outta here, you quack!" a man yelled.

"Go back where you belong—jail!" shouted a woman.

"And don't bring those fake remedies around here again!" said another.

"But I have some exciting new products that will invigorate you senses, heal your wounds and--"

"My hair was grey and thanks to your tonic it turned pink!" a man said as he took off his hat to reveal his brightly colored hair.

"But my dear sir! Look how it brings out the color of your eyes," the Doc said.

The grey-haired man lunged at him and a few others held him back.

"Terminus, this is neither the time nor the place to sell your phony products."

"We've just had someone die," a woman said.

The Doc chuckled. "Oh, people die all the time, you just--"

"He was _killed!_" she said.

Terminus looked momentarily taken aback. "Well, my most sincere apologies. If there's anything I can do…"

"Well, if you have some miraculous potions that will help us figure out who killed our town preacher, then by all means stay," a man said. "If not, then I suggest you turn that car of yours around and get out of here as fast as you can."

Terminus was genuinely scared, but remained composed. "Since you mentioned it, I _do_ have a special powder that aids in the finding of such felons …just toss a little on the scene of the crime and their tracks will appear, leading you to the exact location of said criminal."

"Don't be stupid," a woman said. "Their footprints are no doubt covered by now."

The Doc began to turn on his trademark charm. "Then if you're not interested in that, I have revealing powders from the mountains of the Himalayas and truth serums from the jungles of Brazil! Detectives of Scotland Yard are always asking for my help! And there's many more where that came from. Now, I won't be able to help you wonderful folks of Passamashloddy—I mean 'quoddy'--unless you help me. I'll start these products out at five dollars a bottle! Five dollars to catch whoever killed your preacher! God beacons you!"

The townspeople looked at each other hesitantly, but began to pull out their dollar bills.

…………….

"Did you hear what happened at the church?" Nora said, entering the kitchen where Lampie and Pete were eating breakfast. She had been to town, purchasing more oil for the lighthouse lamp. Pete and Lampie looked at each other, realizing the imminent news was not going to be good.

"Um…no," said Lampie, in an apparent attempt to play along with Nora. "What happened?"

"Well, apparently when the parishioners showed up this morning they found the front door of the church demolished, and—you're not going to believe this—they found the preacher on the floor…_dead._ Both of his arms appeared to have been ripped off. Can you believe that? I think it's really suspicious. I wonder if this has anything to do with what happened in town the other day."

Pete looked up from his breakfast. "It does," he said.

"Hmm?" Nora asked. "You know what caused it?"

Pete nodded. "You probably won't believe me, but…"

"Go on," Nora said.

"Before I came here, I saw a dragon in the woods. It killed the Gogans and I think it followed me here."

Nora was prepared for something more realistic, but this was bordering ridiculous. No doubt the child's imagination was getting the best of him. "Pete," Nora began, "I know you've had a rough week, but you mustn't make things up—especially in situations like this."

"But I'm not making it up!" Pete said firmly. "Lampie believes me. He's seen it too!"

At this remark, Lampie turned away, no doubt thinking of what transpired the other night. Nora shot him an inquisitive look. "Well, Dad? Do you have any more tall tales you'd like Pete to hear?"

Lampie just shrugged, undecided if he should defend the boy or not.

"Look, Pete. You don't have to believe everything my dad says," Nora began. "He had a lot to drink last night and--"

"But I've seen it!" Pete said, his voice rising. He knew his efforts were fruitless to convince Nora that the dragon was real. What could he do to convince her it _was_ real?

"That's enough," she said. "I don't want to hear any more about this dragon."

And with that, she disappeared to the top of the lighthouse.

"Well, you tried," Lampie said.

Pete glared at him, wondering why Lampie didn't stick up for him. He slammed his spoon to the table and went outside to clear his mind. If the dragon _was _around, it didn't matter to him. Maybe people would believe him if it attacked him. They would be sorry then, Pete thought as he picked up a stone and tossed it into the ocean.


	6. Chapter 6

It had been three days since Father Gibbons' death and Doc Terminus' arrival. The charming con man had once again wowed the town with the promise of capturing the preacher's killer with his magic powers and elixirs.

Pete meanwhile had subsequently kept his mouth shut about the dragon—that is, whenever Nora was around. It was different with Lampie. Pete would try to steal a few moments with the old man, checking with him to see if he'd seen the creature.

"No, nothing," was always Lampie's answer.

Pete felt somewhat relieved about this, but continually glanced over his shoulder whenever he heard a twig snap or the sound of feet scraping against the ground. He hoped there was something that could take his mind off the issue.

On a pleasant day while accompanying Nora into town, Pete noticed a straight line of well-dressed children following a well-dressed woman into a red building—the school no doubt. Of course, school was another matter. He often wondered what it would be like to attend one—and soon enough he would find out.

One day, Pete found a new suit and hat arranged neatly on his bed. It was obviously Nora's doing—why would Lampie do such a thing?

"Did you buy this for me?" Pete asked Nora.

"Yes I did," she said.

"What for?"

"Well," she began, "don't you want to look presentable for your first day of school?"

Pete stood aghast. "My _what_?"

Nora started, "Listen, Pete. You need something to take your mind off this dragon business, and school seems to be the best answer."

Pete stared at Nora, wondering how she could betray him so.

"If you're going to be staying here, you're at least going to learn something," Nora said.

"Do I have to like it," asked Pete.

"Like it or hate it you have to go," Nora said. "Do you want to be stupid when you grow up…like the Gogans?"

She had a point.

"_Okay,_ I like it."

…………………………

The new clothes were stiff and uncomfortable, and Pete continuously lifted his tweed hat to itch his head.

As he and Nora headed to school, they passed the docks where Pete had found Lampie on his first day in Passamaquoddy. A few fishermen shot Pete disgruntled looks as they walked by. Pete didn't know what to make of it.

"It's like all the fish disappeared! And there's the cause of it!" a fisherman said, waving a finger at Pete. "Ever since that kid came to town, the fish turned sour!"

"Yeah, that kid's been nothing but bad luck wherever he goes!" another said.

Pete couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was being singled out for reasons he did not understand.

"Don't be ridiculous, you superstitious ding-dongs!" Nora retorted. "You know very well that fishing grounds shift from time to time."

"Not this bad," another fisherman said, still keeping an eye on Pete.

"Come on, Pete. Just keep walking," Nora said.

It was difficult for Pete to ignore the intent gazes of the Passamaquoddy citizens—especially when they neared a group of kids congregating near a playground. They had their heads together, whispering and momentarily glancing at Pete. Finally one of them skipped over to him.

"Are you the boy with the dragon?" the girl asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"That's what everyone says! That you've got some kind of pet dragon or something."

"No, no. It's not a pet."

"So then it really _is_ a dragon?"

Pete glanced up at Nora, who seemed only content on listening to how this conversation would play out.

Pete kept his voice low. "Yeah, there is—but don't go blabbing about it to anyone. People will think you're crazy."

He watched the girl run back to her group of friends, no doubt to tell them all what Pete just said. He rolled his eyes and continued to walk on until they reached the school entrance where Miss Taylor stood.

"Well, good morning, Nora."

"Good morning, Miss Taylor. You have a new student," said Nora.

"I have?" the teacher said looking past the two.

"You remember Pete?"

Miss Taylor narrowed her eyes. "Oh. _Him._"

"I'd like to enroll him in school."

"You _what_?"

"I said I'd like to enroll Pete in school."

Miss Taylor began to size up Pete with a spiteful gleam in her eyes. She considered this a moment, and then took Nora by the arm, leading her away from the boy to talk privately.

"Don't be absurd, Nora," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"Sending that boy to school to mingle and shed his harmful influence on the other children? I won't stand for it."

"Miss Taylor, I hardly realize what _that_ has to do with anything. I assure you Pete is a completely normal--"

"And I suppose the attacks on the poor citizens of this town were purely coincidental?"

Nora looked puzzled. Miss Taylor continued, "Surely you've noticed ever since the boy has arrived here, the most unusual things have happened."

Nora looked back in Pete's direction and thought about the teacher's comment. Passamaquoddy _had_ been fairly tranquil before his arrival. Could he really have something to do with the strange events that kept occurring? She thought of the flood that hit the town a day before he arrived. It seemed now like a bad omen. No. She waved the thought from her mind.

"It seems rather unfair that you should condemn Pete when there hasn't been a shred of evidence produced that would relate him to these events."

Miss Taylor began to look flustered. "No, no, NO! This is irregular, irregular, irregular!"

"But he needs an _education, education, education_," Nora replied. "Surely you can't disagree with that."

"I would if I could…but I can't," Miss Taylor said, and turned to Pete. "There's an empty seat in the front."

Nora gave Pete a nudge of confidence as he went into the schoolhouse. As Nora bid Miss Taylor good-day, the schoolteacher flashed her a smile laced with contempt.

…………………….

"Hey Dragon Boy! Come here!" a tall kid called at Pete as he left the classroom.

Pete ignored this. The tall boy was chagrined that he wouldn't so much as look his direction. He jogged in front of Pete, blocked his way and motioned for his group of friends to follow him.

"Maybe you didn't hear me the first time, Dragon Boy," the tall boy said crossing his arms and staring Pete in the eye.

"I heard you," Pete said coolly. "But that's not my name, so why would you expect me to answer you?"

The tall boy furrowed his brow and glanced at his friends before snickering wickedly. "I'm going to say this once more, _Dragon Boy._ When I call you, you better obey."

Pete could smell the tall boy's rancid breath penetrated his nostrils. It reminded him so much of the Gogans. "Excuse me," Pete said as he pushed past the boy and his group. He got no further than two feet when he felt a hand clasp down on his shoulder. All Pete could remember was being spun around and seeing a fist closing in on him before everything went black.

……………………………

The afternoon sun was beginning to wane. Nora and Lampie had finished whitewashing the lighthouse when they saw Pete coming up the path. Slowly. Something was not right. His gait was uneven, and his clothes were untidy. As he got closer, they realized his chin was crusted with dry blood, and his face and clothes covered with dirt.

"My God, Pete! What happened to you?" Nora exclaimed, rushing to him.

"Nothing," he said.

"It doesn't look like 'nothing,'" Nora said.

"It's nothing to worry about. I'm used to it," Pete said, trying to walk past them.

"Well, I'm _not_ used to it," said Nora. "Come inside and tell me what happened."

Pete told her of how a group of boys followed him and demanded he show them where the dragon was.

"And Miss Taylor isn't any better. All she did was humiliate me," he said, wiping the blood off his chin. "Nora, do I really have to keep going to school?"

"Listen, kid. Don't let it get to you," Lampie said. "You're stronger than that."

"Just give it a couple more days," Nora said. "If things don't get better, well…I suppose you can keep to the lighthouse instead."

"Thanks," Pete said. "I think I'm just going to lie down for a while."

……………………………

The next day, Pete braved the taunts of his peers on his way to school and the degrading comments of his teacher in the classroom. So often he felt like attacking them—a swift blow across their faces would suffice. Instead, he remembered Nora's words and didn't want to do anything the Gogans would do. But today would be different.

"Where are all my students?" Miss Taylor asked.

Pete examined the classroom and realized that only about half the students were present. Coincidentally, it appeared that the absent students were none other than the ones that ambushed Pete the other day. He wondered where they had gone.

"Ask Pete," a boy seated in the back said.

"Yes, _Pete_—where is everyone?" she demanded.

Pete shrugged. How was he supposed to know? He hadn't even made friends with anyone yet—only enemies.

"I've never had a student absent," Miss Taylor said. "If this is your doing, then you'll be in for it, young man. What did you do?"

He didn't know how to answer someone who wouldn't believe him. "Nothing," he answered dully.

"Oh, really?"

For a moment, Pete couldn't speak. He felt slightly dazed—like someone was hypnotizing him. Suddenly he began to feel lightheaded. He struggled to keep his eyes open and focused, but felt his head droop forward and hit the surface of his desk. Soon after, he felt someone shaking his shoulder and telling him to wake up. The stern face of Miss Taylor looked back at him.

"No sleeping in class!" she hissed.

Pete surveyed his surroundings, trying to get a sense as to where he was. It felt as though he woke from a long nap. Suddenly Miss Taylor grabbed his shoulder and pulled him out of his seat. She led him to a corner of the room and placed a dunce hat on his head.

"Now you'll stay there the rest of the afternoon and think about what you've done."

Pete faced the wall and began to wonder what kind of horrible school this was—one where a teacher would wrongfully accuse him of the strangest things, perhaps.

"What?!" Miss Taylor said, looking behind her. Pete jumped. "Why did you say my name?"

Pete shook his head. "I didn't."

Miss Taylor pursed her lips as she eyed Pete and then went back to her work. What on earth was the matter with her? Pete didn't hear anyone say her name. The room was quiet once again until a loud clanging broke the silence.

"What on earth?" the perplexed teacher said. The students looked up from their work as Miss Taylor slammed her pencil on her desk and went outside to find out what was going on. To her surprise no one was there. The bell appeared to be ringing on its own. She reached for the bell and pulled it until it stopped ringing.

"Back to work!" she said to her students as she went back to her desk. She noticed Pete was not his place. "You! Go to the corner!"

Miss Taylor began to take her seat and Pete backed into the corner, but in doing so, Miss Taylor's chair swiftly slid into his hands causing the teacher to fall to the floor with a thud. A few of the students snickered at her misfortune, but Miss Taylor herself was not amused. She turned red with fury when she caught Pete with the chair.

"This was your doing!" she said to Pete, who stood motionless in the corner. She pushed herself off the floor and reached for a large ruler. "Turn around, you heathen boy!"

As Miss Taylor drew the ruler back, a loud snarling began to emanate from above. A look of dire confusion filled her expression. The roof began to split open, its beams cracking apart creating a shower of splinters that rained down on the students below. Cries began to erupt as they tried frantically to avoid the chaos. Some hid under their desks, while another group made a mad dash toward the door.

Miss Taylor fearfully clutched the ruler to her chest, as though it was supposed to protect her. Meanwhile, Pete had plastered himself into the corner. His eyes widened when he saw the giant green form of the dragon crash through the ceiling. It landed on Miss Taylor's desk with a heavy crash. The dragon locked its fiery eyes on Miss Taylor, who lay petrified on the floor. Smoke rose out of the dragon's nostrils as it brought its face close to hers.

The dragon was distracted. Pete slowly eased his way out of the corner, hoping the dragon wouldn't hear or see him. But it was Miss Taylor who did.

"What are you doing, you fool?! Don't leave me!" she cried. Frantically, she tried to scramble away from the dragon, but it grabbed her by the ankle. She dug her nails into the wood floor as the dragon pulled her forcefully. It launched Miss Taylor in the air and she landed hard on her face, blood dripping from the side of her mouth. The dragon caught scent of this and placed one hand on Miss Taylor's back, digging is claws into her spine.

Pete opened the nearest window and jumped out. An ear piercing scream filled the air. He looked back into the schoolhouse to see the dragon holding up Miss Taylor in front of its open jaws. The dragon drew its head back and engulfed her with a stream of fire. He turned away and ran back to the lighthouse as fast as his legs could carry him.


	7. Chapter 7

"What's all that racket out there?" Doc Terminus said. "I can't hear myself think."

Hogey, still clutching his model skeleton, peered out of their tent. They had set up "shop" in the town square, just shy of the fishing wharfs. "Looks like school's out," he said.

"What? That can't be, it's too early, stupid." Terminus ceased stirring a batch of faux potion cooking on his miniature stove. He pulled back the tent curtain to see a number of children running out of the schoolhouse.

"Hey! Hey you, what's happening?" Terminus called to a passing girl.

"It was Pete's dragon! It came through the ceiling! It tried to kill us!" The girl said nothing more and ran away sobbing.

Terminus glanced at Hoagy curiously, and they made their way to the school before the crowds outside began to multiply. Half of the school's wall and ceiling were caved in.

"So do you _really_ think this dragon exists?" Hoagy asked mockingly.

"Of course it doesn't exist! You know there's a logical explanation for what happened in the school. The roof must have been weak—flooded with water no doubt—and collapsed. Happens all the time in old structures like this," the Doc explained.

They stepped over the splintered beams and fanned away plumes of smoke that were emanating from a charred mass on the floor. Terminus examined it more closely and recoiled when he discovered it was a human body.

"Then how would you explain _that_?" asked Hoagy.

The Doc's brow furrowed. His eyes were fixed on a series of gashes in the wood floor. Claw marks, or so they resembled. He said nothing as he pulled Hoagy by the collar and out of the schoolhouse.

A crowd had formed outside. A frantic man stepped in front of the two. "What happened in there?"

"I-I don't really know," the Doc stammered.

He pulled Hoagy by his shirt collar back to the tent.

"I think we've hit a goldmine!" Terminus said.

"What are you talking about?" asked Hoagy.

The Doc grinned deviously and pulled out a large encyclopedia entitled _Mythical Creatures._ He leafed through it until he found the "D" section. He pointed to an elaborate drawing of a winged dragon at the center of the page. Hoagy chuckled at the sight of it.

"I see nothing funny about this," Terminus said glaring at Hoagy. "Don't you think that chaos at the school seems like an all-too elaborate plot for these simple-minded folks to pull off?"

Hoagy shrugged impassively, and Terminus shot him a livid glance.

"Ridiculous yes, but think of what this can bring us—with the right amount of persuasion, of course. We need to get everyone _invested_ in our little scheme. The existence of a dragon would have an impact of epic proportions…one could really make a quick buck with it. And Hoagy, since you're so indifferent to this, I'm going to send you on a little assignment. I want you to find out more about this kid Pete. Go on a little undercover mission. Find out how we can get the dragon."

"Well how am I supposed to do that?" he whined.

"_I've_ trained you well. Use your cunning—you're good at it. Remember Pilgrim Heights?" Terminus said.

Hoagy recalled that particular incident, which required him to disguise himself as nun—and he wanted to forget about it.

"That should be reason enough."

"Okay, but no costumes," said Hoagy.

………

Hoagy spent the remainder of the evening in the Passamaquoddy Tavern. He noticed an older fellow who looked like a squatty version of Santa Claus in a blue sweater and on a bender. He sat the bar, a number of empty glasses in front of him. Hoagy caught wind of a few words, slurred as they were, he thought he heard "dragon" and "Pete" mentioned. There were a few sodden souls sitting near him, but the man wasn't talking to anyone in particular. Hoagy decided to take a seat next to him in a shameless attempt to eavesdrop.

After a while, he spoke. "Did I hear you say something about a dragon?" Hoagy asked in a low whisper.

The man's eyes widened when he heard the word, and he leaned in closer to Hoagy. "Yessss! You've seen it too? It attacked the school today!"

"I know," said Hoagy recoiling at the smell of the man's breath, which reminded him of an unsettling mixture of old seafood and bad alcohol.

"Do you know anything about dragons?" the man asked.

"No, but my boss does," Hoagy said and then added, "He sent me to go looking for it."

The man was genuinely aghast. "Now why would you wanna go looking for it?! That's dangerous! What are you? Crazy or something?"

"Maybe, but think of what could happen if we caught the dragon," Hoagy explained. "Think of what could be in it for us—fame, fortune and eternal glory. What would you say to that? We'd go down in history! World's First Dragon Catchers: Hoagy and…what did you say your name was? "

"Lampie," the man said. "Hey, hey…lemme buy you a drink."

Hoagy agreed. The trick was he had to remain sober enough to remember what Lampie was saying…

…………………………….

One drink turned into ten.

Hoagy couldn't remember how he got to the beach—or _why _for that matter. It was dark out and that was his excuse. He blinked his eyes repeatedly, trying to adjust to the blackness. Lampie had an arm slung over Hoagy's shoulder, unsuccessfully trying to keep his balance.

"We-w-we don't want Nora to hear us!" Lampie said loudly, his arm flailing towards the lighthouse perched on the cliff above.

Hoagy didn't know who Nora was, but he slapped a hand over Lampie's mouth. Everything in front of him was spinning. "Shut up!" he managed to hiss.

Although Hoagy's vision was impaired, his hearing was rather acute. He could hear the roar of ocean waves ahead. Lampie said and ripped Hoagy's flask from his hand. "Gimmie some of that."

Lampie downed the liquor and tossed the flask into the sand. "We gotta be careful," he mumbled.

"Why?" Hoagy still didn't know what he was talking about.

"There are caves ahead," Lampie whispered.

Suddenly, through his drunken stupor, Hoagy remembered what he should've been doing. "Do you think the dragon is in there?" he asked.

"Dragon?! Where?!" Lampie nearly shouted as he moved closer to Hoagy.

"We're looking for it," Hoagy reminded him as they entered the blackness of the cave.

"Oh, right. Hey, I can't see a thing."

"Here, I have a light," Hoagy said producing a lighter from his pocket. The flame cast a flickering glow about the damp black walls of the cave.

"Stay close."

"Do you smell that?" asked Lampie.

Hoagy sniffed the air. "Dead fish?"

"Ex-act-ly! And what do you think a dragon would eat? Fish!" Lampie slurred.

Hoagy suddenly felt apprehensive. He was still skeptical about the existence of the dragon, but part of him wanted to believe it. He also wasn't sure why the spineless Lampie from the tavern was having a sudden burst of bravery.

They walked further into the cave. The ground beneath their feet was soft and sandy. Each time Hoagy stepped forward, he heard a number of loud cracks. He looked down and could barely make out a series of white objects embedded in the sand. He brought the lighter closer and gasped at what he saw.

"L-l-look!" He stammered to Lampie.

"What is it?"

Hoagy pointed to the white objects.

"Bones!" Lampie cried. "Well…it could be an animal carcass."

"I don't think so," Hoagy managed to squeak out as he caught sight of a pile of clothes and a number of human skulls, muddied and cracked in a corner of the cave. A large broken wooden box lay nearby. Hoagy tried to make out the writing on its sides, but part of it had been stripped away. The flame from his lighter became reduced to a low flicker.

"I don't like the looks of this," Lampie said, trembling.

"Well, no dragon here," said Hoagy. "Let's get outta here!"

They stumbled around, trying to get out the way they came in.

"Ow! I think I bumped into the wall," Hoagy said. He moved his hand around, trying to find an open space. "Something's blocking our way."

Whatever it was, it felt soft…and scaly. A low growl arose. It had to be the dragon!

For a moment, Hoagy couldn't speak. He drew his hand back and clutched Lampie's sweater.

"There's something in front of us," he whispered. "Don't move."

They pressed themselves silently against the wall of the cave and felt the smoky breath of the creature wash over them.

The cave opening was near, and light from the moon was enough to reveal the silhouette of the creature. The two men tried to refrain themselves from trebling violently.

The dragon stepped back, clicking its tongue and growling. Hoagy suddenly noticed an opening where they could easily make an escape, unnoticed by the dragon. He pulled Lampie by the arm and crouched to the ground.

They began to crawl on their hands and knees to the cave exit when a growl began to escalate behind them. Hoagy looked back and saw flames from the dragon's mouth spewing forth. Lampie caught sight of it and let out a terrified scream. The two scrambled out of the cave. Hoagy slipped on the wet sand and hit his jaw against a rock.

"Help me!" Lampie cried.

Hoagy looked back and saw that Lampie's foot was stuck in a crevice.

The dragon advanced on them, its yellow teeth bared. Hoagy picked himself up off the ground and rushed toward Lampie. Flames burst from the dragon's mouth and caught on Lampie's sweater. Hoagy wrenched Lampie's foot from the gap and ran out of the cave.

With all his might, Hoagy tossed the old man into the ocean to douse the flames. He glanced back at the cave. There was no sign of the dragon. He pulled Lampie out of the water and got him to his feet.

"Are you alright?" Hoagy asked.

"Yeah. The burn isn't that bad," he answered.

"C'mon, let's get out of here."

They ran as fast as they could along the beach and back into town.


	8. Chapter 8

"Dad? Dad, wake up."

Nora shook her father's shoulder, rousing him from a deep sleep. When he came to, he blinked his eyes repeatedly and observed his surroundings.

"Where am I?" he said groggily.

"The broom closet," Nora said helping him to his feet.

"How did I get here?"

"Well, I was hoping _you_ would have an answer to that," Nora said tersely.

Lampie rubbed his eyes, trying to adjust to the light.

"Oh my God! Dad! What happened to your arm?" Nora gasped.

Lampie looked at his arm and saw that half of his sweater was singed from the flames. "I uh…um…a flame caught on my sleeve when I was changing the wick of the lighthouse lamp."

"What? Dad, I changed it the other day, remember?" Nora replied. "Don't tell me you spent the night at the tavern again."

Lampie grumbled. "What I do with my life is none of your business," he said and trudged up the stairs to his room.

Meanwhile, Pete sat on his bed and listened to the squabbling between Nora and Lampie. He had to find out want happened to Lampie's arm.

He slowly approached Lampie's room and knocked on the door softly.

"What?" came an irritable voice.

"It's me Pete."

"Come in."

Pete caught sight of Lampie's burned arm and couldn't help but wince.

"You saw the dragon last night?" Pete asked.

The old man nodded. "It was in the cave."

"You went down there?!" Pete gasped loudly.

"Shh! I don't want Nora to find out. She thinks I was at the tavern all night."

"So what do you think we should do?"

"I don't know. I really don't know. It's probably best if we don't discuss this now. If you saw what was down there…" he trailed off and was silent for a moment. "Listen, I'm going to take care of this wound and maybe later we can go to the harbor and check the lobsters today. See if we caught any."

Pete thought it was a great idea. He'd been cooped up in the lighthouse too long, but the notion that the dragon could strike at any moment left him apprehensive. He thought of the incident with the milkman the last time he was in town.

…………………………

"How am I going to get myself out of this one? I don't think I have enough ingredients to make potions and keep up with this charade," Doc Terminus muttered to himself as he examined his remedial supplies. "First a dead preacher, now a dead teacher."

"Hey, that rhymes," Hoagy chimed in.

Terminus whirled around. "Why Hoagy, so glad of you to wake up and join civilization!" he said, mocking his hungover partner who was sprawled on a pile of costumes. "And pray tell me how you tracked all this seaweed into my tent last night."

Hoagy looked at the trail of seaweed leading from the door of the tent and ending at his feet. Suddenly he remembered what happened last night. He stood, his face pale. "Oh! Oh, God! It was down there! I saw it!"

"Saw what?"

"Dra-dra-"

"And what is a 'dra-dra?' Hmm?"

"Dragon! Lampie wasn't lying. It's really real! It belched flames at me! Burned Lampie's arm!"

"Who is this Lampie character?"

"I met him in the tavern. He knew where to find the dragon."

"I thought you were supposed to find that kid Pete. Oh, well, no matter. Just as long as we know where to find the creature."

"I've never seen anything so horrible in my life! I thought we were goners."

"But at least you made it out alive. Hoagy, this is our chance!"

"Please don't make me go down there again."

"You won't be the only one. We'll have to convince some of these townies to assist us in catching it…"

………………….

Lampie convinced Nora to come fish for lobsters—with Pete's help of course. Going to town like this always made Pete feel was as though they were a family, and an unusual one at that. On the way to the docks, Pete noticed that Nora wouldn't say much to her father. Was it because of the dragon? He knew Nora was skeptical and would probably never believe Lampie no matter how much he tried to convince her otherwise. If only he could help bridge the gap between the two in some way.

At the docks, Pete received glaring looks from many of the townsfolk, which he tried desperately to ignore. They launched their skiff into the harbor and trolled the waters for crates of lobsters. Lampie allowed Pete to pull up one of the crates and fish out one of the lobsters. Pete had never seen one up close, and he reluctantly grasped the blue crustacean in his hand.

"Ugh! It's ugly!" he said holding it up.

"Well, what did you expect?" Lampie joked as he took it from Pete. "There should be a few more crates down there. Nora, have you got a hold of any yet?"

Nora fished out two crates, both of which were broken in half with traces of lobster carcass lodged in between. "That's odd," she remarked. "I don't think a fish could have done this. We've never had this problem before."

"Could've been a fishing accident from someone else," Lampie suggested.

Suddenly a rumbling sound emerged from under a nearby jetty. The water began to bubble violently and move towards them.

"What _is_ that?" Nora asked pointing to the water. She leaned over the edge of the boat to get a better look.

Pete and Lampie looked at each other and knew exactly what to do. Lampie pulled Nora by the shoulders and sat her down. They both took an oar and feverishly rowed back to the docks. Nora still had her eyes locked on the bubbling water—and so did a few nearby fishermen.

Pete glanced toward the direction of one fisherman who stood in a boat with a net cast out into the waters. Pete recognized the man as the one who once accused him of the poor fishing conditions. The man appeared to be having some trouble reeling the net in. The bubbling mass moved closer. He pulled at the net, but it seemed to be caught on something below.

"Keep rowing," Lampie instructed Pete.

But Pete continued to watch the fisherman from the corner of his eye, the bubbling mass moving closer. He knew all too well that something terrible was about to happen, and he couldn't just sit by and watch.

"Get out of the way!" Pete yelled to the fisherman.

Startled, the fisherman looked in Pete's direction just as the water exploded in front of him. The fisherman was launched upward and then seemed to disappear into thin air. There was a loud CRUNCH as droplets of red rained down.

Nora continued to gape at the spectacle, as did a crowd that had formed at the docks. They reached the nearest pier and jumped out of the boat. Out of nowhere, the skeletal remains of the fisherman were spewed into the harbor, tangled in the net. They floated momentarily at the surface before sinking to the bottom.

"Did you see that?!" Nora cried.

Lampie grasped her arm. "We have to get out of here."

Pete could not see where the creature had gone. It was invisible once again and stealthily concealed itself somewhere in the waters. Pete's eye moved to another group of fishermen who were rowing frantically toward shore. More bubbles emanated to the surface, and appeared to follow the boat of fishermen. One of their oars was swiftly pulled under water.

"We can make it!" one of the men yelled. They were almost at the pier. Another fisherman readied his rope and tossed it on one of the posts. They began to pull the boat in when something clamped down on the rope and split it in half. The man holding onto the rope was jerked out of the boat and landed in the water. His comrades frantically tried to pull him back in, but with one quick movement, the man was sucked beneath the surface.

Only his fishing hat was left floating atop the water.

Nora started to reach towards the water to retrieve the man's hat.

"Leave it!" Lampie cried. "That thing will pull _you_ under, too."

Pete stared wide-eyed at what was happening to the group of fishermen. Their boat suddenly started to move on its own.

"Quick! Cut the line!"

One man reached for a knife and began to hack at the rope that was pulling the boat, ready to submerge it into the water. He succeeded, and the rope disappeared below. The waters were suddenly calm. They breathed a sigh of relief and began to paddle back to the pier with their one oar.

Pete noticed another pool of bubbles beginning to form about a foot behind the fishermen's boat.

"It's coming back," Pete said.

Lampie rowed faster. They were getting closer to the pier.

Suddenly, the boat of fishermen was shot into the air, pieces of wood, water and bodies flying every which way. The invisible dragon crashed back down into the harbor waters. The men tried to swim away with frenzy, but were snatched and pulled under with a scream. With an incredible amount of force, the dragon smashed into a row of large boats in the marina and thrashed about wildly, reducing each one to a pile of splinters.

Pete, Nora and Lampie moved hastily up the pier to dry land. Theirs was the only boat that hadn't been destroyed. The astonished crowd at the docks parted as the trio moved through them.

"It's that kid again," someone murmured.

"Something bad always happens when he's around," said another.

Nora glared furiously at the wide-eyed bystanders, but said nothing. She wrapped her arm around Pete's shoulder securely and led him away from the devastation he had witnessed.

"And where do you think you're going?" came a voice.

They turned around to find the mayor standing at the front of the crowd, his expression livid. Neither Nora, Lampie or Pete said anything and instead walked back to the incensed pubic official who beckoned two policemen to join him. He crossed his arms and furrowed his brow at the three.

"If you think you can walk away from a murder scene a second time, think again."

…………………………………….

Terminus and Hoagy had been watching the harbor incident from a distance.

"For once I'm at loss at what to do," the Doc said. "If people keep dropping dead around here, I'm going to run out of excuses and they'll _really_ know I'm a sham."

"We could just forget about the dragon and leave."

"Shut up, Hoagy. The dragon is the only way we're going to recoup our losses from the last town. Then there will be no more of this mixing up phony potions and skirting the authorities…and angry customers. The question that remains is _how_ are we going to catch that dragon?"

Hoagy tried not to catch the Doc's attention, but his attempts to ignore him were fruitless. "Hoagy. Perhaps you should talk to your friend Lampwick, or whatever his name is. If he knows where it is, then catching it will be easy."

The Doc's thoughts were interrupted when a horse-drawn cart clattered to a halt in front of his tent. The driver was a frightful sight. He wore a hat, which he was desperately using to disguise a large red wound on the left side of his head. Next to the man sat a heavily bandaged woman who had a difficult time moving around. Her face, arms and hands were covered, and she let out a painful groan as she tried to turn her head in the Doc's direction.

"Good afternoon," said Terminus. "Can I help you?"

"My name's Merle Gogan and this here's my wife Lena. We're lookin' for--"

"Let me guess," Terminus interrupted. "You want me to treat whatever is beneath your wife's bandages and whatever it is you're hiding under your hat."

"Well…that would be good, but that ain't exactly why we're here. We're tryin' to find a mean lookin' kid—answers to the name of Pete."

"Half the kids in this town answer to the name of Pete," Hoagy said. "Other half don't answer."

Merle Gogan did not appear to be in the mood for jokes. "Well? Have you seen him?"

"Perhaps I have," the Doc spoke. "But why should I tell you?"

Merle stepped off the wagon and approached the Doc. "That boy's responsible for what's happened to us. I'm askin' you plain and simple if you've seen him 'round these parts. I know he came this way."

The Doc regarded the two. "How could one kid possibly do all this to you?"

"He had help," Merle said. "I ain't crazy, but believe me when I say he did. It was a mean ugly creature. Nearly broke my skull. Practically burned her to a crisp." He pointed to his bandaged wife.

Realizing what the elder Gogan was referring to, Terminus began to grin. "And let me guess…this creature wouldn't happen to be, oh, a fire breathing _dragon_, by chance?"

"How did you know?"

"Take a look over there to see what said dragon has wrought."

Merle turned in the direction of the harbor and surveyed the destruction. "Lena. This here's the place!"


	9. Chapter 9

Pete didn't know that a small town like Passamaquoddy had a jail cell. Thankfully, it was large enough for the three of them.

"What is the meaning of all this?!" the mayor spat at them through the bars.

"If you could be more specific, then perhaps I'd be able to answer you," Nora said calmly.

"You know very well what I'm talking about. The incident at the docks just now, the death of Miss Taylor and Father Gibbons, and the attack on the milkman. I don't believe this string of horrific crimes could just _happen_ out of nowhere. There has to be a logical explanation for it all." He shot a livid glance at Pete when he finished speaking.

"Stop beating around the bush," Lampie said. "Just tell us why you've locked us up."

The mayor furrowed his brow at the old man and a wry grin appeared on his face. "This boy in your company…I've never seen him around here before; many other residents of this town can also attest."

Nora stared at the mayor unflinchingly. "Pete came to us in such a terrible condition. He ran away from his cruel adoptive parents and I took him in," she said. "Or perhaps you're unfamiliar with _charity._"

For a man who was often so jovial, the mayor, with his scowling face and angry glare, now looked like an entirely different person. "That is beside the point," he spoke. "This boy has become a menace to our town, and I will not have him causing any more trouble."

"You mean to tell us that you think an innocent young boy is behind all that_?_" said Lampie. "How could he cause such outrageous destruction?"

"It can happen," the mayor replied simply.

"So you plan on keeping us locked in here like dogs? Is that your big plan?" asked Lampie. "What is that going to prove?"

"You are suspects in a crime and will be kept here until further notice," the mayor said abruptly and turned to leave. The three sat in silence.

"I'm sorry," Pete finally spoke.

"What do you have to be sorry for?" Nora asked. "None of this is your fault."

"But…" Pete didn't know how to proceed. Telling Nora about the dragon again would be as useless as the last time he tried. "Never mind." He grew quiet. Weeks ago he never imagined that he would be in a peculiar situation such as this. He stood up on the bench in the cell and looked out the tiny barred window above it. Outside he saw the mayor talking with a policeman, but could hear nothing from the indistinct conversation. The mayor nodded to the policeman and made his way to the harbor. All Pete, Nora and Lampie could do was wait.

…………………………….

"That boy is legally ours and we got a bill of sale to prove it," Merle spoke as he sat down in the Doc's tent and pulled out a worn piece of paper.

Terminus looked at the paper and regarded their gruesome countenances. "I can't imagine _why_ you'd want him. The dragon seems to follow him wherever he goes…and killing everyone in the process."

A sputtering growl emerged from Lena's bandaged face. The Doc grimaced and reached for two bottles of tonic and a bottle of lotion. "These are for you, free of charge, guaranteed to cure your burns and wounds," he began, "_if_ you'll let me use the boy as bait."

"What?"

Terminus smiled knowingly. "You want Pete, I want the dragon, and the dragon only seems to appear when the boy is around. I cannot capture the creature unless I have the boy."

"Look," said Merle, "I don't know anything about the dragon, only that the whole problem started when Pete ran away. We don't know how it found him or why it's following him. We just want Pete back is all. If you can get the dragon without killing the boy, then it's a deal."

Merle looked at Lena who nodded weakly.

"I think we have an agreement," the Doc said shaking Merle's hand. Merle tightened his grip and moved in close. "If anything happens to that boy, you're going to owe me a lot more than tonics and lotions."

Terminus nodded fearfully and Merle unclamped his hand. "Hoagy," he said. "We need to get to work. Pete won't come with us unless we have something of his. Something he cares about…"

……………………….

It was nearly dark when the mayor returned to the holding cell. A strong wind had started to blow and threatening storm clouds were gathering at the horizon. The mayor remained silent, his expression unreadable.

"Can we go yet?" Pete spoke up.

The mayor glared at him. "No," he sneered. "You may not _go._ Six men are dead."

Pete's mouth hung open. There was a sick feeling in his stomach. With more people dead, what was going to happen to him, Nora and Lampie? He knew the stubborn mayor wouldn't believe a word about the dragon, so what good would telling him do?

"That is most unfortunate," said Nora, "but how could _we_ have had anything to do with it?"

The mayor twisted his face into a horrible glare. "Something's not right with that boy. He's brought something with him…a force of evil."

"That is complete and utter nonsense, and you know it," replied Nora.

"That boy is the devil incarnate!" the mayor spat.

"You idiot," said Lampie. "There's nothing you can say that—"

"I didn't do anything! It was a dragon!" Pete said forcefully. He couldn't take it anymore. The least he could do was try and explain. At his remarks, Pete noticed the mayor blink with surprise before his usual scowl returned.

"More nonsense!" he exclaimed. "I won't have any more of your foolish lies being fed to these poor townspeople. The other day I heard half the kids ranting about a dragon—thanks to your absurd lies."

The mayor composed himself for a moment. "Now," he said, "I have some business to take care of. Then I'll be back to figure out how to dispose of you." He put on his hat and headed out the door.

"Sorry, Pete. I don't know what he's going on about," said Nora. "I'm sure he's just overreacting."

Pete hoped it was just an overreaction. He stood up and peered over the edge of the cell window and saw the mayor talking to the policeman once again. He could barely make out parts of their conversation.

"No one else goes in there but me…do you understand?" the mayor said to the policeman, who nodded languidly. "…know too much already…can't let them find…especially that woman…"

Pete sat down, puzzled. Could they be hiding something? Did they really know about the dragon after all?

…………………………

Terminus and Hoagy had spent the majority of the day preparing a scheme to capture the dragon. With all his appeal, Terminus managed to persuade the local fishermen to let him borrow a state-of-the-art harpoon launcher. All they needed was Pete. Terminus knew the boy always seemed to be around when disaster struck, and that could only mean the dragon was nearby, too.

Terminus and Hoagy ventured up to the lighthouse and knocked again at the door, but no one answered.

"Well, this is convenient," the Doc said. "Do you have any idea as to where they are?"

"We could ask around town," Hoagy suggested. "The dragon just destroyed the harbor, so I'm sure the kid must've been around when it happened."

The Doc rolled his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me before?" he asked and turned back to town with a huff.

When Hoagy and Terminus neared the center of town, they saw a man striding up the road.

"Who's that?" Terminus asked. "He looks important."

"The mayor," Hoagy replied in a whisper.

Terminus approached him in a buoyant fashion. "Ah, Mr. Mayor! Lovely weather we are having today."

The mayor stopped. "If you're trying to sell me one of your ridiculous remedies, I am _not_ interested."

"Of course you aren't," said the Doc. "I was just wondering if you could help me with a little matter. You see, I have two individuals in my tent who are in terrible shape. They've come here in search of their boy, oh, what was his name? Pete. Given the state of the harbor, I'm sure he can't be far away. Might you happen to know of the boy's whereabouts?"

"If I did, I wouldn't be at liberty to disclose that information. That boy is a menace to our town and needs to be punished."

"I see," Terminus replied, glancing over the mayor's shoulder at the policeman who stood outside the town hall. "Well, if you cannot supply me with the necessary information, then I will not press you any further. Thank you, Mr. Mayor."

The mayor grumbled and brushed passed them.

"Well, that was successful," Hoagy remarked.

"You idiot, look there," the Doc said pointing to the lone policeman. "I know exactly where Pete is."

………………………………..

The policeman sighed to himself. Standing guard outside the town hall was a meaningless job in this community—especially when he knew the three people inside had done nothing wrong. He sat down on the stairs, and from his coat pocket he removed a silver flask of whisky and took a slug. With his sleeve, he wiped off the excess that trickled down his chin. Liquor was the only thing that kept him sane. He gazed up at the darkening clouds. A storm was approaching and lightning began to sporadically flash. He took another drink and noticed two men coming towards him. It was Doc Terminus and his assistant. Quickly, he shoved the flask back inside his jacket and straightened up.

"Hello, my good man," the Doc said to the policeman. "We were wondering if you could help us out. We're in search of a young boy—goes by the name of 'Pete.' We have reason to believe that he is being held here. Might we visit him?"

"I'm sorry, but no one goes in. I can't make any exceptions."

The Doc sized him up for a moment. "If I may turn your attention to the sky, you'll see there's a storm approaching. I happen to be expecting a shipment of medicinal herbs, which are arriving by boat this evening, and I'm afraid the boat might hit a reef and sink. Then what would happen to me? What would happen to the fine folks of this community if they did not receive their medicines?"

"What are you saying?" asked the policeman.

"I'm saying you have the lighthouse keepers locked up in there and you need to let them out. Think of what will happen if no one is there to light the lighthouse lamp to guide the way for incoming ships."

The policeman, still slightly drunk, pondered this for a moment.

"We need the man and woman who you have locked up," Terminus reiterated.

"I can't let them out…not without the mayor's permission."

"I just spoke with the mayor now. I told him of my predicament and he said it was perfectly fine if you—"

"Sorry, I can't."

Terminus was growing dull of this man's obstinacy. He decided to play a different card. "You know, it would certainly be a shame if the mayor found out his town policeman had been indulging in spirits while on the job."

The policeman appeared to weaken at this remark. He looked the Doc in the eye and suddenly grew confident. "No! No, I can't. Go away, or I'll have to arrest you, too!"

Terminus looked taken aback. It was like fighting a losing game with this fellow. "Fine," he grumbled, disappointed with this unlikely defeat. He would have to change his plans. He looked up and felt the splash of a few raindrops against his face. "Come, Hoagy. Back to the tent."

………………………………………..

"You're thinking about him, aren't you?" Pete said to Nora.

"Who?"

"Paul."

She sighed and nodded. "I was just thinking how it would be if he were here. It might seem like it, but having him gone hasn't been easy for me. I miss him coming home from a voyage, bringing the most unusual finds with him." She smiled at this recollection.

"I thought Paul was a fisherman?" asked Pete.

"Oh, he was," said Nora, "but he liked to explore whenever he got the chance. One time he brought home a two-headed bird skull. It was the most unusual thing I'd ever seen. Other times he'd bring back exotic fruits, coffees from South America."

A flash lightning and a low rumble of thunder sounded. Suddenly the door of the town hall opened and the policeman walked in.

"Are you here to let us out?" Lampie asked.

He shook his head. "Nope. I'm here so no one _else_ lets you out."

Their expressions sank, and the policeman smirked at their dejection. "Storm's coming," he said with a slight slur. "Just be glad you're in here." He pulled out his flask and took a long drink. A nightstick hung at his side and he removed it. He felt like he needed some amusement after the tedious work he'd been doing, so he took the nightstick and ran it along the bars of the cell, making an obnoxiously loud repeated clang.

"Stop it!" Nora yelled.

The policeman simply laughed. He took another drink and kept hitting the nightstick against the bars.

"What is going on here?!" a voice demanded.

The policeman spun around to find the mayor standing in the doorway, a mad glint in his eye. He immediately dropped the nightstick and flask in shock, and stood frozen. The liquor spilled onto the wood floor.

"Clean it up," the mayor said through gritted teeth.

The policeman pulled out his handkerchief and knelt to the floor. Another rumbling was heard outside, but it sounded much too close to be thunder. Pete listened and looked out the cell window. The pungent smell of sulfur drifted through, and he could almost swear that the rumbling was turning into a growl.

"Oh, no," Pete said breathlessly.

"What?" Nora asked.

"I hear it," said Pete. "The dragon. It's near!"

"Don't be silly, it's just—" Nora started, when all of a sudden there came the cracking of wood above their heads. Nora, Lampie and Pete looked up to see the roof of the town hall split apart. They frantically ducked under the bench to protect themselves from falling pieces of wood.

Pete watched as the mayor stood transfixed at the destruction playing out in front of him. The policeman scrambled backwards, taking cover under a nearby clerk's desk. The dragon let out a guttural roar and rammed itself into the side of the building, destroying everything that stood in its way. A ceiling beam came crashing down and before the mayor could move, it pinned him to the ground.

Under the bench, Lampie tried to shield Pete and Nora from the incoming debris. He watched as the dragon stomped into the room, its large tail smashing into the cell and pulling it free from its steel anchors. A puff of smoke spewed from the dragon's nostrils as it lowered its head to the spilled liquor. Its long pink tongue curled out of its mouth and lapped up the liquid.

The policeman whimpered from under the desk, and the dragon jerked its head in the direction of the sound. Its long neck extended out and pushed towards the desk. The policeman let out a terrified scream and tried to break for an exit, but wasn't quick enough. The dragon clamped down on the helpless man's leg and lifted him up in the air. Through his cries of pain, the policeman managed to pull out the nightstick and deliver a swift blow to the dragon's head. The dragon was momentarily stunned and released its grip on the man's leg, sending him crashing to the ground. He crawled away from the chaos, blood pouring from the gaping wound in his leg.

The dragon shook its head and growled furiously. Its teeth bared, it ran at the policeman and dug its claws into the man's flesh and hoisted him above its head.

"GAAAAHHHHHH!!! NOOOOO!!!" the policeman screamed.

The dragon roared and slammed him into the electric telephone wires outside the town hall and against the burst of sparks, he sizzled to a crisp.

While the dragon proceeded to eat the charred body of the policeman, Pete, Nora and Lampie crawled over to the mayor, who was still pinned under the wooden beam. Pete and Nora managed to lift it up while Lampie pulled the mayor out. He was barely conscious, but was able to get to his feet as the three carried him out through the smashed wall off the town hall. A fierce rain began to whip around outside.

"We have to get back to the lighthouse," Lampie cried.

"What about _him_?" Nora asked nodding at the mayor.

"Bring him with! We'll deal with him when we get there."

They edged past the dragon, who was still ripping apart the body of the policeman and made their way towards the lighthouse.


	10. Chapter 10

Doc Terminus could not believe his usually perfect attempts at persuading others had failed him moments ago. He had retreated with Hoagy back to his tent where he was met with the scowling faces of the two Gogans.

Lena Gogan had removed the bandage from her face to reveal her puffed and oozing skin seared from the fire of the dragon. Terminus cringed at the sight and retrieved a bottle of ointment from one of his cabinets.

"Put some of this on," he said handing it to the woman. "This happens to be from the finest tropical plants of South American origin—guaranteed to treat your burns in no time."

"Where's the boy?" Merle pressed. "I thought you was bringin' him here."

"Slight change of plans," said the Doc. "It appears that Pete is incarcerated and will not be joining us at the present time."

"Well, go get him out!" said Merle.

"Hmm. Well, you see, I don't have the authority to do that," the Doc explained.

"I don't care what you don't have the authority to do!" Merle shouted. "Break in for all I care. That boy is worth fifty dollars plus legal."

"Look on the bright side," said the Doc glancing at his harpoon gun. "At least he's in a safe place."

Lena Gogan sputtered something unintelligible.

"I think my wife agrees that you should go bust him out," said Merle.

The group was suddenly startled by a distant scream. Hoagy looked at the Doc wide-eyed and peered outside the tent.

"Looks like someone beat us to it," replied Hoagy.

The Doc watched across the way to see Nora, Lampie, Pete and the mayor hobbling through the rain, away from another scene of destruction.

"We've got him, Hoagy."

…………………….

Nora, Lampie and Pete laid the mayor on the sofa in the lighthouse. There was a large splinter of wood protruding from his leg.

"He's bleeding bad," Lampie said. "Pete, get me a towel."

Pete nodded and ran to fetch one. When he returned, the mayor was starting to regain consciousness. Pete handed the towel to Lampie, who placed it under the mayor's bloody leg. Nora brought over a bowl of hot water and some bandages while Lampie cut open the mayor's pant leg to expose the splinter. He cleaned around the wound and prepared to extract it.

"This will hurt," Lampie warned.

The mayor, in his weakened state, braced himself. Lampie grasped the piece of wood and pulled it straight out, blood oozing onto the towel. The mayor winced as Nora applied pressure with the towel.

"Do you know what you're doing?"

Nora said nothing and pressed harder. She appeared to be trying to hide the obvious amount of shock that registered in her face.

"Just be glad you're alive," Lampie said. "Pete, some water."

Pete filled a glass and handed it to the mayor who drank it quickly. Pete joined Nora at a nearby table.

"I'm sorry I doubted you, Pete," she said.

"You believe me then?"

She nodded. "How could I not? The dragon was really real."

The mayor set down his water glass and heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry about all this," he said hoarsely.

"It wasn't my fault," Pete said to him.

"I know. I've known it for quite some time now."

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" Nora asked.

The mayor sighed heavily and avoided Nora's scrutinizing gaze.

"Well?" she pressed. "You're not leaving this place until you explain yourself."

He propped himself up on the sofa and began, slowly and carefully.

"There was an incident about a month ago off the shore of Mirador Beach…not too far from where I live. It was the night of one of the bad summer storms. So much damage, boats run aground, people injured…cargo missing." He paused a moment after saying this and then continued. "A person came to my door that night—a fisherman of sorts—in the most terrible shape. Blood was streaming down his head, he could barely walk.

'What happened to you?' I asked him.

'We couldn't see anything through the storm. Our boat's crashed on the reef.'

'Where's the rest of your crew?' I asked. He looked shaken and pale.

'Oh God. I don't know. I don't know! The dragon. It was the dragon. We brought it back for everyone to see!' he wailed.

I thought _The Dragon_ was the name of his ship. I lit a lantern and asked him to take me to the scene of the accident. We rushed down to the beach. There were broken crates, pieces of wood and fruit strewn everywhere. The tide was pushing in more debris as we looked for survivors.

'I see something!' the man said. I raised my lantern to see another man lying in the sand and not moving. 'Paul!' my companion shouted."

Nora's eyes widened at this. She reached for a nearby chair and sat down.

The mayor continued. "'Paul, are you alright?' the man said rushing towards him, attempting to revive him. The man who was Paul sat up weakly and squinted through the pouring rain.

'Where is it?' he asked, his tone turning anxious. 'Where is it?!" He stood up and searched around frantically. His eyes fell upon a large crate that was smashed to pieces on the shore. 'Oh God. It's gone. It's gone!' Paul cried. 'We have to get out of here now!'

There was a flash of lightning and through the illumination I saw it emerge from the cave. I watched in horror as it stood up to its full height, its eyes glowing, fire erupting from its mouth. I couldn't believe the horrible sight that I was seeing: a real live dragon!

'Get out of the way!' Paul yelled. He grabbed me and we ducked behind a large rock on the beach. The light from my lantern extinguished and I couldn't see where I was going. I had no idea where the other fisherman was, but I then heard an incredible roar nearby and I looked up to see the torso of the man being ripped in two by the creature, picked apart like a piece of meat. The dragon wasted no time in swallowing the man until nothing remained.

'Damn!' Paul said through gritted teeth.

'Where in God's name did that come from?!' I cried.

'We captured it off an island near South America,' Paul explained. 'Thought we could show it here; put Passamaquoddy on the map with such an amazing find.'

'But it's dangerous!' I said.

'Don't I know it,' Paul replied. 'Look.' He lifted up his cap to reveal a missing ear. 'Nearly took my head off when we captured it.'

'What are we going to do about it now?!' I asked peering over the rock. Through the flashes of lightning, I saw that the dragon was gone!

I suddenly felt something warm on the back of my neck. I didn't move, but I heard Paul whisper: 'Run!'

I tried to scramble away, but it leap towards me, its claws lashing at my legs. It tightened its grip around my ankles and pinned me to the ground, standing over me, its teeth bared. I tried to get to my feet, but the creature kept pushing me into the sand.

Then I heard Paul's voice. 'Hey, dragon! Over here! Over here!'

The dragon released me from its grip and ran over to Paul who was brandishing a sharp piece of wood. 'Get out of here!' he yelled to me as he took a swing at the furious dragon.

'What about you?' I called.

'Just go! Don't worry about me!' he yelled reaching for a discarded rope lying in the sand. He managed to cut the dragon on its arm, leaving a few splinters, but that enraged it even more. It shot flames at Paul and he avoided them by jumping out of the way. Paul threw the rope over the dragon's neck, but it wasn't tight enough. The dragon bucked violently, hurtling Paul in the air. He landed in the sand, barely conscious. I raced over to him and pulled him to his feet, but the dragon was too quick. It knocked me to the side.

Paul pulled out a small knife and drove it into the dragon's side. It let out a horrifying roar and writhed in pain. But it wasn't enough to do any damage. I saw Paul remove it and brandish it once again, but the dragon—"

The mayor stopped and looked up at Nora whose eyes were glassing over. "Go on," she managed to choke out. The mayor reluctantly continued.

"The dragon bared its claws and…jammed them straight into Paul's stomach. I saw the look of shock in his face right before the dragon's mouth clamped down on Paul's head. He was devoured there on the beach and I couldn't do anything to stop it. I took cover by the rocks of the cliff, hoping the dragon would spare me. After a moment I looked back and saw that Paul's body was gone. All that was left was a pool of blood that the tide washed away. I saw the dragon shuffle through the washed-up debris and sniff the air. Its wings extended and it flew up in the sky, over the cliffs and out of sight. I had no idea where it went…but now I know."

"I saw it in the woods," said Pete. "Not too far from here. I think it followed me. It must've been nesting there."

There was a silence. Nora finally spoke to the mayor, unable to look at him. "And you knew about this all along? About Paul, about the dragon! You covered it all up. Why didn't you tell us?"

"A dragon lose in the town? Do you think anyone would believe me?"

Nora sighed in frustration. "Paul is gone. _That_ I can't believe." She rose to her feet. "You know what I think? I think we should've left you back there—let the dragon finish you off the way he did Paul."

"Nora—" Lampie began, but was cut short by a knock at the door. He stood to answer it and found Doc Terminus standing there, Hoagy in tow.

"Hello. I couldn't help but notice you have a hurt man in your midst," said the Doc.

"I don't believe that's any of your business," said Lampie.

"Actually it is. I _am_ in the medical business, as it were, and I specialize in bites, burns, blue abrasions and all sorts of lacerations. Perhaps you'd allow me to take a gander at the man's leg before he bleeds to death."

Lampie and Nora hesitated before letting him in. Terminus and Hoagy stepped through, but Hoagy stayed by the doorway drenched in rain water.

Terminus knelt down by the mayor and examined his leg. "Oh my, it's worse than I thought," he said with exaggerated concern. "He'll need to come back to my tent."

"You mean you didn't bring anything with you?" said Lampie. "I thought you were a doctor."

"I may need to operate," said Terminus. The mayor stared at him aghast. Terminus looked at Nora and Lampie. "I will need some assistance in transporting the patient."

"You're not suggesting we go back out there? You do know there's a dragon at large," Nora protested.

"We'll simply have to take our chances," said the Doc directing his comments to the mayor. "I'm afraid your life hangs in the balance."

The mayor looked beseechingly at his rescuers.

"Fine," Nora said with an angry scowl. "But Pete stays here with my dad."

Pete jumped up. "No!" he cried. "I want to help."

"It's too dangerous for you out there," she said. "I need you here in case the lamp goes out."

"But—"

"No buts."

Nora assisted Lampie in hoisting the mayor up and positioned his arms over each of their shoulders. They followed the Doc back into town. The rain was coming down hard. Hoagy held a large umbrella over Terminus, who was clearly dry.

The mayor groaned in pain as they approached the tent.

"Put him in there," said Terminus pointing to something that resembled a dentist's chair.

They placed him in it as he clutched at his injured leg. The Doc rummaged through his medical bag until he pulled out a large syringe. The mayor panicked at the sight of the needle as the Doc filled it with a clear solution.

"What is that?" the mayor asked.

"Morphine. It'll numb the pain," said Terminus with a grin. He cleaned the mayor's wound and jabbed his leg with the needle. The mayor muttered something indistinct as his head drooped to the side like a rag doll.

"Should you have given him that much?" Lampie asked.

"He'll be alright," said Terminus. "I just need him out for what I'm about to do to you."

Nora and Lampie looked puzzled as the Doc gave a slight nod in their direction. All of a sudden their vision became enveloped in blackness. Someone had shoved black cloths over their heads. They struggled to escaped, but were jabbed in their stomachs by strong fists. A coil of rope was pulled tightly around their middles, trapping their arms. They tried in vain to yell for help, but a sharp blow to their heads knocked them out cold.

…………………………………..

After changing into dry clothes, Pete climbed the stairs to inspect the lamp of the lighthouse, still feeling dejected from not being able to help. He watched the light revolve around, illuminating the dark horizon. The rain seemed to be letting up.

_Why did everything have to turn out this way_? He thought. Never in a million ears did he think of ending up in a small town, crossing paths with a fire breathing dragon. It was like something out of a fairytale—only worse.

A knock from below shook Pete from his thoughts. He rushed down the stairs to see who it was. As he opened the door, he stood face to face with an alarmed Hoagy.

"Is something wrong?" Pete asked.

"No time to explain. It's Nora and Lampie!" Hoagy said out of breath. "Something's happened. You better come quickly!"

Pete grabbed his coat and hat and followed Hoagy out the door.

"What's going on?" Pete asked as they raced towards the tent. "Was it the dragon?"

"Just come this way," Hoagy said, pushing Pete into the tent.

But it wasn't Nora and Lampie inside. He was pushed straight into the arms of Merle and Lena Gogan!

"Thought you could hide from us, did ya!" Merle snarled. "Thought you could leave us for dead?!"

Lena twisted Pete's arms as best she could, while Merle stifled Pete's cries for help by tying a gag around Pete's mouth.

Pete jolted his head around trying to find Nora and Lampie, but all he saw was the unconscious mayor slumped over in the dental chair.

"You're coming back with us," said Merle as he bared his rotten teeth at Pete. "But first the Doc needs you."

Pete tried to shake free, but Merle only tightened his grip around Pete's arm, leading him to the back of the tent.

The rain had stopped and through the darkness, Pete saw Doc Terminus standing next to a scary looking harpoon gun.

"Ah! Pete! It's wonderful to finally meet you!"

Pete tried to respond, but the gag blocked his voice.

"Where _are_ my manners?" said the Doc. "Let me get that for you."

He removed the gag and Pete coughed. "Where are Nora and Lampie?

"Don't you worry about them, my boy," chuckled the Doc. "They're safe. I just need them out of the way for what I have to do."

"What are you talking about?"

There was a chuckle from the Gogans and Terminus. "Don't you know? I imagined you did…you being the dragon's friend and all."

Pete stared at him in shock. "What makes you think that?"

"Pete, you and the dragon seem to be inseparable. You also have a taste for destruction."

"I had nothing to do with it," Pete said. "Let me go!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Pete. You see, wherever there's smoke there's fire and wherever you go, the dragon follows. I need that dragon…and you're going to be the bait."

"You can't do this!" Pete cried, struggling to break free from the Gogan's' grasp.

"Oh yes I can," said Terminus as he steadied the harpoon gun. "I'm sure it won't be long before it shows up. And, don't worry…I'll try not to hit you."

Pete let out a cry but Merle clamped a hand over his mouth and dragged him over to a flag pole hear the edge of the harbor. Hoagy emerged from the tent with a coil of rope and helped Merle tie Pete to the pole.

"Help!" Pete yelled.

"Want me to shut him up?" Merle asked, raising a clenched fist.

"No," said Terminus. "The dragon needs to hear his cries. The louder the better. Hoagy, go ready the gun."

Hoagy bounded over to the harpoon and turned it in Pete's direction. When the Gogans finished securing Pete, they ducked behind their horse drawn cart, while Terminus joined Hoagy by the harpoon.

"Remember, Doc," Merle warned. "If anything happens to that boy…" He flashed a knife in front of him and Terminus swallowed hard.

"Not to worry, my good man. I'm as steady as ever." He handed Hoagy a box of matches. "Here. Be ready to light the fuse on my command."

Pete continued to unsuccessfully break in confines, but it only made matters worse. From the harbor waters, he could hear a bubbling sound behind him that he was all too familiar with. A glance over his shoulder confirmed his fears to be true—the dragon had been hiding in the water. Pete watched as Terminus steadied the harpoon and Hoagy lit a match.

"Hurry, you fool!"

But in a single leap, the dragon shot up into the air and a million droplets of seawater rained down on them. The match Hoagy held was quickly extinguished and he scrambled to light another.

The dragon came down with a crash and rose to its full height in front of Terminus, staring down the harpoon. The terrified doctor stood there frozen. The dragon looked much different up close, much more frightening and real.

"Light it! Light it!" Terminus yelled as the dragon let out a guttural roar. Hoagy tried to strike a match with shaky hands, but he only fumbled the box. "Oh, I'll do it myself," said Terminus picking up the matchbox. The dragon lumbered towards them. Terminus lit a match but the dragon swung its tail forcefully, sending the two men tumbling to the ground.

The Gogans, still hidden by their cart, managed to scurry over to Pete and cut the rope that bound him. Pete tried to jolt away, but he wasn't fast enough. Merle clamped a hand on his shoulder and shoved him in the direction of their cart.

"We're gettin' outta here," he cried. "He's got his dragon and we got the boy. Our deal is done!"

Lena, as best as she could, steadied the horses as Merle thrust a burlap sack over Pete and tossed him in the back of the cart. Pete let out a muffled yell for help, and the dragon seemed to hear. It turned its attention from Hoagy and the Doc, and tromped over to the Gogans. Merle ducked as the dragon's arm swung in to hit him. It smashed into the side of the cart, just shy of taking off Merle's own head. He took cover under the cart, but the dragon was quicker. It lunged beneath and fastened its teeth around Merle's leg. The man let out a terrible scream and the dragon pulled him out and threw him into a stack of nearby kerosene barrels, breaking them apart, the oil oozing all around. Lena jumped off the cart and hobbled over to him, but slipped on the leaking kerosene, landing into a barrel herself. They were both covered from head to toe.

Pete managed to wriggle out of the burlap sack and run for cover in the Doc's tent.

The dragon caught the scent of blood and oil on the Gogans. It stomped towards them and inhaled deeply. Lena and Merle shielded themselves as they tried to stand up in the kerosene, but the dragon puffed a mouthful of black smoke at them and they fell backward. Merle still held a knife in his hand and, though covered in the sticky oil, slashed at the dragon's stomach. A faint line of blood began to trickle slowly out, and the dragon's eyes started to glow a fierce yellow. Its cheeks puffed and a long stream of fire shot towards the Gogans. The kerosene was set ablaze, engulfing Merle and Lena in the process.

Pete watched from the tent as they were burned alive. It was too much for him to witness, and he looked away and covered his ears from their horrifying screams. Soon enough, they were no more.

Pete didn't know what to do. After a moment, he heard a thumping sound coming from a large trunk in the corner of the tent. He rushed over to it and pushed up the lid. Inside were Nora and Lampie, their mouths gagged, their hands and feet tied. Pete breathed a sigh of relief for their safety and removed them from their confines.

"Pete, you're alright!" Nora said, wrapping her arms around him.

"Are _you_ alright?" he asked Nora and Lampie.

"Just a bump on the head and a punch to the stomach, but I've had worse," Lampie answered as he hauled himself out of the trunk.

"The Gogans are dead," Pete said. "The dragon just killed them."

They gave each other concerned looks and peered out of the tent. Orange flames from the burning kerosene flickered brightly against the dragon's green skin. They ducked back in so it wouldn't spot them. Pete noticed the mayor in the dental chair. His eyes blinked open, and he managed to sit up.

"Are you alright?" Pete asked.

The mayor nodded. "I feel a bit dizzy."

Meanwhile, Terminus had recovered from his fall. He pulled himself up so he was level with the harpoon. Hoagy was still sprawled on the ground. Terminus picked up what was left of the crushed box of matches. He struck a match and the flame blazed. The dragon turned its head sharply at the sound of the match against the box. It bared its teeth and stomped towards the Doc, who held the match to the fuse, but it would not catch. Hoagy looked up just as the dragon smashed itself against the side of the harpoon gun, sending Terminus flying back into his tent with a crash.

Pete and Nora helped Terminus to his feet, but he only brushed them aside. "Let me go! I have to get it!" he cried. Terminus ran out of the tent, and picked up the harpoon gun.

"We have to stop him before he does something worse," said Nora.

"It's not just _him_ we have to stop," said Pete. "We have to stop the dragon itself!"

"He's right," the mayor said. "If we could find something around here to bring the creature down…I don't know how long the Doc's going to fare with that harpoon."

They all searched the tent for anything they could rig up as weapons.

"Look here!" said Lampie. He opened one of the Doc's medicine cabinets and found several large bottles of alcohol. "Cocktail, anyone?"

They all looked at him as though he was crazy.

"What?"

"If you think that's going to work…" Nora said skeptically.

"It's better than nothing. All we need are some matches and rags."

"I'm on it!" said Pete tearing off portions of the tent while Lampie uncorked the bottles and gave one to each of them.

"If I may help," the mayor said, tossing a matchbox to Lampie, as he puffed on a cigar he just lit.

Lampie caught the matches and looked outside the tent. Terminus had rolled the harpoon gun to another location as the dragon encircled him.

"We can attack it from behind," said Lampie, setting the rags of their bottles on fire. "Get ready to throw."

To their advantage, the Doc was easily distracting the dragon with the harpoon. They managed to slip behind the creature and ready their bottles.

"Now!" yelled Lampie. They all hurtled their bottles at the dragon, a billowing ball of flames igniting its back. The dragon writhed, let out an angry roar and spun around to face its attackers. Nora, Pete and the mayor retreated back to the tent, but Lampie remained standing his ground. He held a second bottle of alcohol in his hand, and hurried to light the makeshift wick. His hands were trembling and sweating. The dragon snorted a puff of smoke out of its nostrils and charged towards the old man like a bull.

"Dad, look out!" Nora cried, but Lampie couldn't hear over the dragon's roar.

The mayor saw the impending danger and acted fast. He ran to Lampie and with all the force he could muster, pushed him out of the way. He watched the old man fall, but felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He glanced down and saw that the dragon had clamped its jaw around his middle. With one last glance at Pete and Nora, he choked out, "I'm sorry," just as the dragon ripped his body in two, bones snapping, blood pouring down the dragon's mouth like a red waterfall.

Pete's breath caught in his throat and Nora shielded their eyes from the ghastly sight. Lampie crawled to safety, but there was a searing pain in his arm. He must have broken it when he hit the ground.

Terminus, meanwhile, had relocated himself to a better vantage point for shooting the dragon. He lined up his shot and successfully lit the fuse. It burned down and sent the harpoon whizzing straight into the dragon's leg. Terminus let out a cry of joy and loaded another harpoon into the gun. The dragon raced around, swatting at the harpoon lodged in its leg, blood trailing down. Terminus fired the second harpoon, successfully ramming the weapon into the creature's stomach. The dragon let out the most blood-curdling roar he had ever heard and flapped its wings to lift itself off the ground.

There was a rope attached to the second harpoon, and as Terminus looked down at the pile of rope beneath his feet, which was rapidly trailing away. He suddenly realized he had forgotten to tie it down. The rope wrapped around his ankle and he was lifted off the ground, still attached to the dragon.

"Hoagyyyy!!" Terminus yelled. Hoagy fearfully peered over the barrels he was hiding behind and watched as the dragon dove into the water sending a tidal wave of seawater crashing down on the Doc's tent.

Luckily, Pete and Nora had taken cover near Lampie and quickly assisted him with his arm.

"The dragon went under water," Pete said. "What should we do?"

"I have one of these left," said Lampie holding up the bottle of alcohol and matches. He handed them to Pete for safekeeping.

"I doubt that will do us any good," Nora replied as she created a makeshift sling for Lampie out of their tent rags.

"Like I said, it's better than nothing."

They barely had time to think before the dragon shot out of the water, the Doc still attached to the harpoon rope. The dragon crashed to the ground and plowed erratically into the barrels Hoagy was crouched behind.

"Look!" said Lampie as the barrels smashed apart. "More kerosene. We can fill this bottle with some of that. It will be a lot more effective."

The waterlogged Terminus was trying desperately to undo the rope around his ankle, but kept getting tossed around by the dragon. He clawed at the ground, his nails digging into the mud.

"Don't just stand there! Help me, Hoagy!" he yelled. His assistant stood there shaking, unsure of what to do. "Hoagyyyy!!"

Hoagy finally snapped out of it and ran over to the Doc, but he was tripped by the dragon's tail. He landed on Terminus, and the doctor managed to grab onto the lapels of Hoagy's jacket as they were dragged along the edge of the harbor. The dragon turned sharply and sent the trailing men tumbling into a rotting jetty. The wood was soft and it broke beneath them. Hoagy's leg lodged into one of the gaps of the jetty and he felt it dislocate as the dragon jerked forward. Terminus still held on to Hoagy's jacket for dear life.

"Let go!" Hoagy screamed, but he could still see the terror in the Doc's eyes and he knew that they were doomed. The dragon wrenched forward and Hoagy was lifted out of the crack, out of the Doc's grasp, and sent flying through the air. With a crack of his skull, he landed headfirst on the ground, his neck snapping as easily as a twig.

With a great amount of force, the dragon had begun to twist and flail about, spinning the helpless Terminus along with it, until soon enough he was wrapped and pinned against the dragon with his own harpoon rope. The creature teetered near the edge of the harbor as it tried to claw at the Doc. It snarled and slashed a long gash across his face, but lost its balance and slipped off the edge.

"Help!!" the Doc called out. But it was too late, as he and the dragon were swallowed up by the water.

Pete, Nora and Lampie rushed to the harbor's edge. They waited for any sign of Terminus to reemerge, but nothing came. All hope was lost.

They turned around and looked at the damage behind them. So much destruction and so many lives had been lost since the dragon escaped, and they realized how powerless they were to stop it.

Nora put her arm around Pete's shoulder, but didn't say a word. Pete didn't even know what to say after the awful scenes that just played out. He felt lucky to be alive. Still he wondered why, after so much devastation, the dragon never laid a claw on him. He couldn't help but think of the dragon as a protector of sorts. The creature _did _come to his aid a number of times, but with unfavorable results. It _saved_ him from the Gogans.

Pete walked over to the smoldering flames where the Gogan carcasses still burned. The stench was foul and Pete covered his nose. Somewhere in the back of his mind he felt responsible for their deaths. If he hadn't run away, none of this would have ever happened. Would it?

He still held the last bottle of alcohol in his hand and was about to toss it into the fire when he heard the rush of water. He looked back to see the dragon emerge from the harbor with Terminus's limp body still strapped to its back. It jumped up and landed on the ground it front of Nora and Lampie. They scrambled away and tried to take cover as the dragon stood over them roaring furiously. Lampie ducked behind a pile of lobster crates, but Nora wasn't fast enough. The dragon's tail tripped her and she hit the ground hard. The harpoon wound on the dragon still gushed blood and appeared to be weakening it, but the damage wasn't great enough. Pete, acting fast, wetted the rag on the bottle with kerosene and quickly lit a match. The rag wick ignited in a blaze and he ran at the dragon with it. Nora had hit her knee hard on the ground and she tried to crawl away.

The dragon sensed Pete and stopped in its tracks at the sight of the boy. Its body teetered from the pain of the wound, but it didn't advance and it didn't attack. Pete raised the bottle. The dragon's eyes met Pete's. There was no rage. Pete almost felt as though all its animalistic fury had dissipated to give way to a kindly misunderstood creature. But then he saw the dragon's lip curl, its eyes narrow, and its mouth open, letting out the loudest roar Pete ever heard. He drew back the bottle and launched it straight into the dragon's open mouth and down its throat before a stream of flames burst forward. The dragon swallowed the bottle and its stomach rumbled violently. Pete backed away. The dragon pitched to the side, clutching at its middle as another rumbling sound moved upward. A giant fountain of fire and smoke burst out of the dragon's mouth.

Pete rushed over to where Nora was, and helped her to her feet. The dragon was still coughing out fire as they took cover. Pete looked at the creature and heard it let out a loud screech. Suddenly there was a muffled "bang!" and the dragon's eyes widened as it puffed out its final breath of smoke before falling into the burning barrels of kerosene. Its body caught fire quickly and started to burn away.

Pete and Nora slowly rose. Lampie joined them and they held each other close. "It's over, Pete," Nora said with exhaustion. "It's over."


	11. Epilogue

Pete finished the last of the whitewashing of the lighthouse and cleaned off his paintbrush. He was covered in white paint and raced inside, glad to be done with his work for the day. Nora was at the stove preparing another delicious smelling chowder.

"Can I go down by the beach?" Pete asked.

"Sure, but not for too long. Dinner will be ready soon," she replied.

Pete climbed down the rocks to the beach below, kicked off his shoes and ran into the ocean. The cold water was a welcoming feeling. It had been a month since the dragon was killed. Lampie's arm was on the mend, and Pete was getting used to his new life at the lighthouse.

Once the townspeople heard of how the dragon was brought to Passamaquoddy, they couldn't believe how the mayor could cover up such a terrible thing and blame it on Pete. Thankfully, Pete didn't have to worry about the scorn of the townspeople as he did before. They were easily forgiving. Besides, the dragon was gone and he could carry on with his life once more.

Pete strolled along the beach and picked up a smooth flat rock. He turned it over in his hand before skipping it out to the ocean. He began to look for more stones when his eye fell upon something in the sand. The tide was starting to wash away what appeared to be a trail of three-toed footprints. He followed them and found they led all the way to the cave at the far end of the beach. Could they really be…? He peered into the dark cave ahead and saw two glowing yellow orbs materialize out of the blackness. A wave of terror washed over Pete. He knew the sight all too well.

A pair of dragon eyes.


End file.
